LOST & FOUND PART 6
by DG Fisher
Summary: Adam’s mind is full of concern about his family, Bentwood Junction, and Marie leaving to visit family in California. Are Adam’s feelings of unease correct, and will a patient enemy succeed in delivering the most devastating blow possible?


LOST AND FOUND - PART VI  
  
UNJUST  
  
Chapter 46  
  
Early the next morning, Adam came into the front room, yawned and stretched. Both he and Matt had been up all night with Thea, doing everything they could to ease her pain without the use of morphine and it had been a very long night.  
  
Matt poured them both a cup of coffee and handed one to him when he moved to stand beside Adam at the front window.  
  
The two men stood and watched the sun come up as the street before them came to life. They were just about to turn away when Adam noticed a growing crowd in front of Roy's office.  
  
"Something's up," Adam said. He stood there thinking for a bit then turned away to put his gun belt on. He tied down the holster, just in case.  
  
After refilling his cup, he came back to stand next to Matt again. As the two men continued to watch, the crowd parted and Roy came through, followed by various members of the Mueller family.  
  
"This doesn't look good," Matt said.  
  
Adam turned away, walked over to Thea's desk then leaned his hips back against it. "No Matt, it doesn't," he answered, and continued to drink his coffee as they waited.  
  
Roy managed to stay in front of the people following him, but just barely. He stopped and turned around when he stepped up on the board sidewalk in front of the doctor's office.  
  
He raised his hands, "Now all of you can't come in here."  
  
Aaron Mueller, an almost exact copy of his brother Abe stuck out his chin and glared at the sheriff. "You can't keep me outta there. I want to hear what that killer's got to say."  
  
Roy glared back at the man for a moment. "Alright, I suppose there should be a representative of the family present, but only one," he said and turned to open the office door.  
  
When he went in Aaron was right behind him, practically walking up his heels. The sheriff turned and gave the man an irritated look saying, "Shut the door." Mueller blinked at him a few times then did as he was told.  
  
Adam was still leaning against the desk and Matt had moved to stand beside him.  
  
"Good morning," Matt said to Roy, ignoring the other man.  
  
"Morning Matt, Adam," Roy responded.  
  
Adam nodded his head at the sheriff. "What's this about, Roy?" he said.  
  
Mueller's face turned a deeper red. "As if you didn't know!" he said loudly.  
  
Pinning the other man with a hard stare Adam said, "Keep your voice down, I don't want my wife disturbed."  
  
The other man continued to glare, but shut his mouth.  
  
"Adam," Roy said reluctantly, "Abe Mueller was shot and killed last night." Matt's eyes opened wide - clearly he was shocked. Adam, however, clearly was not.  
  
"You don't seem surprised," Roy said.  
  
"Very few things surprise me anymore Roy, not after all I've seen. Considering the kind of man Abe was it was only a matter of time until SOMEBODY killed him."  
  
Seething with anger Mueller shouted, "What the hell do you mean by that?"  
  
"I told you to stay out of this," Roy said. "One more word out of you and I'll throw you out." He turned back to Adam who hadn't bothered to answer Mueller. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask to see your gun."  
  
Adam looked impassively at the older man for a moment. Then in the blink of an eye his gun appeared in his hand. Roy started, but then Adam let go of the butt of the gun and handed it to the sheriff dangling from his finger in the trigger guard.  
  
Roy reached out with a hand that shook slightly and took the proffered weapon. He snapped open the cylinder, "Fully loaded." Then he sniffed at the barrel, "Hasn't been fired recently either."  
  
"That doesn't mean anything," Mueller started to say, but then ground his teeth in frustration when Roy gave him an exasperated look.  
  
"Were you here all night?" the sheriff asked Adam.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can anyone verify that?"  
  
"I can," Thea said and the four men turned to her. Both Roy and Aaron stared, deeply shocked; she looked even worse than she had the day before.  
  
Her half-open eyes fastened on Mueller with contempt, "This is what your brother did to me." She held up her heavily bandaged hands. "Would you like me to take off my robe so you can see the rest of his work?" Thea said with true venom in her voice.  
  
Mueller turned red again and hung his head to stare at the floor.  
  
Adam was giving Thea an admonishing look for what she had said. "Theadora, come here."  
  
She slowly and painfully walked up to him and he stood to carefully take her in his arms. "I was here all night with Thea, Roy. None of us got any sleep at all," he said looking at the sheriff over his wife's head.  
  
Matt spoke up, "That's true."  
  
Thea turned her head to say over her shoulder, "He's been with me the whole time."  
  
Mueller's head snapped up, "They're lying!"  
  
Roy ignored him, "Adam, you know I still have to take you in. You did attack the man and threaten to kill him."  
  
Thea turned around to stare furiously at the sheriff, "Do you actually believe Adam would do something like that?"  
  
"No I don't, but I still have to do my job," Roy said apologetically.  
  
Adam put his hands on her shoulders to turn her back to him. "Roy is right," he said as he gently hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. Then he looked into her eyes. "Don't worry, I didn't kill Mueller and the only thing they can use against me is a threat made in anger."  
  
Thea nodded as he let go and stepped around her to move toward the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Roy asked.  
  
"With you," Adam answered him with a puzzled look. "I AM under arrest, aren't I?" Roy nodded.  
  
"Then let's go before the entire town is standing out there." He opened the door and stood there waiting.  
  
Roy glanced at Thea then turned to follow. When he reached the door Thea spoke, "If anything happens to him I will hold you personally responsible." The sheriff just nodded, took Adam's arm and tried to lead him through the door. He couldn't move the younger man an inch.  
  
"I'm not going out that door until HE does," Adam said firmly.  
  
Roy turned toward Mueller, "You heard the man, come on."  
  
Aaron was still staring at Thea, but he turned away and started for the door.  
  
"Mueller," Thea said softly and he stopped. All four men looked at her. "If you so much as touch one hair on my husband's head you better be prepared to be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life. No matter how long, OR SHORT, that time may be."  
  
She looked the man over with cold eyes then turned away to carefully walk back to the treatment room. Matt was right behind her.  
  
The three men watched her go then Adam looked down at Roy's hand on his arm with amusement. "Do you mind, Roy? That's not necessary, I'm cooperating fully."  
  
Roy looked at his friend, a man he knew to be honorable, someone who could be trusted in all circumstances. He let go of Adam's arm and the two went through the door together. The crowd parted to let them through. As they stepped off the board sidewalk Adam said, "Shut the door Aaron, do something useful for a change."  
  
Mueller was shaking with rage and slammed the door shut as hard as he could. Adam smiled to himself as he and Roy walked shoulder to shoulder across the street and up to the sheriff's office.  
  
Roy opened the door and Adam went in first. He walked across the room, pausing only for a second to pick up the ring of keys from Roy's desk, and stopped in front of the cell where Abe was murdered. His sharp eyes surveyed the cell taking in the details. He looked at the bed and noted the absence of blood and the small amount of glass on the floor. His eyes narrowed as he continued looking around.  
  
Not seeing anything else of significance he moved to the next cell, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. He turned to toss the key ring to Roy and pulled the door shut then shook it to let the sheriff know it was locked.  
  
Roy looked back at him, his expression saying he was extremely unhappy at this situation. Adam smiled at him.  
  
"Try to keep it down out there Roy. I've been up all night and need to get some sleep," he said and went to the cot, lay down and chuckled. "I can also use some peace and quiet. Don't get me wrong, I love my children, but having the five of them running around, yelling, and trying to climb me can get on my nerves every now and then." He laughed and was pleased to hear Roy laugh with him as he stretched, turned onto his side to face the wall, and immediately fell asleep.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
No more than an hour later the din of voices raised in anger woke him. He opened his eyes and sighed; his friends and family had gathered together sooner than he had expected. Staring at the ceiling he sighed again, then sat up as he swung his legs over the side of the cot. He sat there scrubbing his hands across his face and yawned again.  
  
He stood to walk over to the bars and leaned on them with one shoulder. His father, brothers, and three of his four deputies were all yelling at Roy at once. Adam shook his head and smiled, highly amused, but took pity on the sheriff and whistled his loud, piercing whistle to get their attention.  
  
Everyone instantly shut up and turned to look at him. "Hey, I'm trying to get some sleep back here," Adam said then laughed at their expressions. Almost as one, the entire group rushed up to the cell and everyone except Ben started talking at once again.  
  
"Quiet!" he shouted and looked at Hoss first, "How's Thea?"  
  
"Madder than a wet hen, but Matt says she's all right," Hoss answered him.  
  
"Good. Nate where's John?"  
  
"Waiting for the district judge to get here, he's trying to get you released."  
  
"I appreciate his efforts, but it's not going to work. The judge won't sign the order before the prosecuting attorney gets here to either contest it or agree. Let's just hope it's not Dave Jefferson's turn to represent the people this time."  
  
"Is he the attorney that sent those men to take Olivia back to San Francisco?" Ben asked.  
  
Adam nodded, "If it is, this will not be resolved quickly. He'll use whatever he can think of to further his career and make me suffer as long as he can for revenge. Dave's always been like that."  
  
"I don't understand this," Joe said, "Both Thea and Matt said you never left the office, so what are you doing in here?"  
  
"What Thea said won't be taken into account - she's my wife. But Matt will have to be questioned by the prosecuting attorney before I can be released or indicted." He looked toward the door when he heard it open. John came in and walked toward the group in front of Adam's cell.  
  
The young man's face showed his frustration and disappointment at not being able to get the order for Adam's release. He stopped to look up at his boss. "I'm sorry," he simply said.  
  
Adam smiled at him, "Don't worry, John. You had to try even though you didn't have a hope in hell of it working." John smiled back for a moment, but then his smile faded.  
  
"I found out who the prosecutor will be," he said quietly.  
  
"Don't tell me, Dave Jefferson."  
  
John shook his head, "No, it's even worse - Roger Fowler."  
  
Adam let his head fall forward and banged his forehead on the bars.  
  
"When did that crook get back on the circuit?" Nate asked.  
  
"Two weeks ago," John answered.  
  
"Damn," Adam said then looked up at his father. "Well Pa, it's been nice knowing you," he said and shook his head at this turn of events.  
  
"Who's Roger Fowler?" Ben asked, alarmed by what his oldest son had said.  
  
"Only the slimiest, most corrupt attorney you would ever NOT want to meet," Adam answered him.  
  
"Adam helped to investigate him years ago, but he paid a lot of people off and witnesses disappeared so he never was prosecuted. But he WAS demoted and still holds him responsible," Nate explained.  
  
"Damn," Adam said again, "I wouldn't put it past him to manufacture evidence against me."  
  
Mike spoke up, "Then I guess we will just have to make sure that doesn't happen."  
  
John looked at him with a scowl. "And just how are we supposed to do THAT genius?"  
  
Mike looked at Adam and when their eyes met they both laughed.  
  
"It's simple - all we have to do is find out who really did it before Fowler gets here," Mike said.  
  
"Gee, why didn't I think of that?" John said sarcastically as Adam shook his head.  
  
"Well boys, you have your assignment. Find out who did this before I swing for it." The other three deputies stared back at him dismayed. "And if I were you, I'd start by taking a look in that cell and the area under the window outside," he prodded them. Nate and John went into the next cell while Mike and Dylan went out the back door.  
  
Adam raised his eyes to heaven then looked at his father. "Pa, I need your help. I want Matt to be sure to retrieve the bullet that killed Mueller before anything is done with the body. He's the only doctor available to do the post-mortem so it shouldn't be a problem."  
  
"Anything else?" his father asked, ready to go do as Adam requested.  
  
"No, not right now, but I'm sure I'll think of something later."  
  
"I'll be back," Ben said and hurried away.  
  
"Now, as for you two," Adam said to Hoss and Joe, "I need you to go out there and talk to as many people as you can. Somebody must have seen something and maybe they don't even realize that what they saw was important. But be careful and let them know we would 'appreciate' their help without actually saying a reward has been offered." He paused for a moment, "Do you think you can handle that?'  
  
Joe and Hoss were nodding as Mike and Dylan came back inside.  
  
"Whoever shot Mueller must have been short. You can see that something was dragged under the window then dragged away," Mike reported.  
  
"Good," Adam said. "Get Roy outside and show him." The two deputies hurried off as Nate and John finished looking over the other cell.  
  
"Whoever the short person was, they must have been one hell of a shot," Nate was shaking his head. "The angle from the window to the bunk is difficult to begin with, but to hit him with one fatal shot to the head is pretty damn good."  
  
"So we're looking for a short sharp-shooter," Adam grinned. "That person shouldn't be too hard to find."  
  
His deputies grinned back as he turned to his brothers.  
  
"Well, that's another thing you can see if anyone has something to say about around town," Adam said. "You better both get moving, we don't have a lot of time to work with."  
  
"We'll do our best," Joe said and the two of them left.  
  
Roy came back in with the two deputies and he stopped in front of the cell. "They're right," he said.  
  
"I'm sure you would have noticed too Roy, they just got there first."  
  
The sheriff looked back at the man in the cell and said, "I don't care who solves this or how - I just want to see you walk out of there a free man."  
  
"Thank you," Adam said and held his right hand out to the sheriff through the bars.  
  
"You're welcome," Roy said as they shook hands, then he moved away and went back to his desk.  
  
The four deputies stood in a line in front of Adam and waited for him to speak. He surprised them by saying, "John, if you are going to be my legal representative you need to withdraw from this investigation right now. I'm sure the acting director will grant your request." It took a moment for Nate to realize he was now the acting director.  
  
"Uh...sure," he said as Adam shook his head.  
  
"Since you are no longer on active duty as of this moment John, I want you to go to my house and keep an eye on things there. I also want you three to keep checking on Thea. Not only to keep her safe, but to keep her out of trouble. If I know my wife, and I do, she should be up to something soon. Even her injuries won't slow her down."  
  
Realizing Adam was finished the four men started toward the door, but turned back when he spoke again.  
  
"Hey...you idiots be careful. Dealing with family members bent on revenge is the most dangerous thing you can get into."  
  
"We will," Nate said and the other three just smiled at him before filing out the door.  
  
Adam looked at Roy, "Don't worry, there's not one single piece of real evidence against me."  
  
Roy nodded, but still looked worried and opened his mouth to say something when Ben returned.  
  
"Did Matt get the bullet?"  
  
"Yes, he had it already when I got there, and you're not going to believe this. That bullet came from a rifle," Ben said and watched his son's expression change as he got that faraway look in his eyes. He turned away from his father and began to pace in his cell, deep in thought.  
  
Ben and Roy glanced at each other. "Does he do this much?" Roy asked.  
  
"Frequently," Ben answered. "We better sit down, this could take a while."  
  
But the two men had no sooner sat down than Adam stopped pacing and said, "It fits -I thought I was crazy for thinking this, but if my memory is correct then I know who killed Abe." He looked at his father, "But no one will ever believe it."  
  
"Why not?" Ben asked.  
  
"I'll explain that later," Adam said. "Bring your chair over here, I need to poke around in your memory." He sat down cross-legged on the end of the bunk facing the bars. Ben brought his chair over and sat down facing him. They leaned toward each other and Adam spoke first.  
  
"Now I seem to remember a story I've heard only a few times about a death by shooting that occurred around forty years ago..."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Thea was much more than irritable. She was furious because she felt completely useless, unable to help her husband. All she could manage to do was pace for a little bit until the pain in her ribs threatened to make her pass out. She had finally driven Matt out of his own office, and she had done it on purpose.  
  
As soon as the door closed behind him she started to swear under her breath. She cursed Abe Mueller with every objectionable word she had ever heard and in every language she knew. The list was formidable. She finally stopped for breath and jumped, badly startled when she heard a voice coming from the doorway.  
  
Turning around she saw two petite old women, so old they almost looked exactly alike.  
  
"My goodness Sadie," the one with blue eyes said, "I haven't heard language like that since my Abner passed on."  
  
"I don't think I've EVER heard language like that, Hannah," the woman with brown eyes said admiringly.  
  
"She does do that very well, don't you think?" Hannah said and smiled at Thea.  
  
Sadie nodded and Thea smiled as best she could. "Can I help you?"  
  
"We've come to help you, dear." Sadie looked at Hannah and their smiles disappeared. "You see, I'm Gretchen's mother and Hannah here is Abraham's mother."  
  
The younger woman's face lost all expression, and she didn't respond.  
  
"We have something to tell you, but you have to promise first that you'll do what we say. It's the only way we can think of to keep any more killing from happening, especially that handsome husband of yours."  
  
Thea looked intently from one old face to the other a few times and decided they were really trying to help. She moved slowly behind her desk and painfully sat down, then rested her misshapen hands on the desktop. "I promise," she said and the two women pulled chairs in front of her desk and sat down.  
  
"We've been hearing the men in our family talking about taking this situation into their own hands," Hannah said, her blue eyes sparking with anger.  
  
Sadie sighed, "And Aaron is the one that's stirring them up."  
  
Hannah nodded, "I hate to say it, but my boys have been nothing but a disappointment to me for most of my life," she said sorrowfully. "It's all their father's fault, you know. He taught those boys to be just like him, then died leaving me to try and keep them in line. But nothing ever worked with those two."  
  
"Shouldn't we be telling Roy about this right now?" Thea asked.  
  
"No dear." Sadie shook her head, "Men started this mess and as usual, it'll be women who are going to clean it up."  
  
The two leaned forward in their chairs and began to explain to Thea what they wanted her to do.  
  
By the time they were finished Thea was looking at them with respect. "You're right, this is the only way we can stop them without anyone else getting hurt."  
  
"We hope so," Hannah looked closely at Thea. "Oh Sadie, it just tears my heart out to see what Abe did to this pretty face." She hung her head.  
  
"I'm sure it does," Sadie said and put her arm around the other woman's shoulders. "Many's the time I've seen my own daughter looking like that."  
  
Hannah sniffed and looked up at Thea again. "I'm so sorry he did this to you, child. But he won't be doing anything to any other helpless woman again now."  
  
"I'm sorry," Thea said quietly.  
  
"No reason for you to be sorry, you didn't do anything," Hannah said, as she seemed to pull herself together. "And neither did that husband of yours."  
  
"I know," the younger woman tried to smile at them. "You just leave the rest of this to me," she said. "And please stop by the post office as soon as possible on your way home and ask Barbara to come see me."  
  
"We will," Sadie said and Thea just sat there while the two women left, leaning on each other. She shook her head as she moved to the office window. The two of them had just started to cross the street and Thea watched impatiently as they slowly made their way across, up the sidewalk, and finally entered the post office.  
  
A moment later Barbara came hurrying out the door. Thea turned and went back to her desk.  
  
When her friend burst through the front door Thea tried to smile again as the other woman hurried toward her. "Has something else happened? What's going on?"  
  
"Nothing has happened - yet - and that's what I need your help with." Thea nodded to one of the chairs in front of the desk. Slightly out of breath Barbara dropped into one and looked at the other woman expectantly.  
  
"The Muellers are planning on breaking into the jail and dragging Adam off to hang him."  
  
Barbara jumped up, "Then what the hell are we sitting here for!"  
  
"Because Hannah Mueller and Sadie Sharpe would only tell me if I promised to take care of this their way."  
  
The other woman narrowed her eyes as she slowly sat back down. "And just what is 'their' way?"  
  
"Ah, that's where YOU come in. I need you to be my messenger," Thea said and proceeded to tell Barbara the plan the two old ladies had come up with. By the time she was finished Barbara was smiling and nodding her head.  
  
"Well, I guess I better get moving. I'll report back as soon as I can," the tall woman said and rushed out the door.  
  
Thea sat back as she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth against the pain in her ribs. When she opened her eyes Matt was standing near the open door. "Is it safe to come in?" he said and Thea nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said and tried to stand, but couldn't.  
  
He came forward to help her up and tugged her toward the other room. "You need to lay down, you're not going to get any better like this."  
  
"I know, but I'll have plenty of time for that after Adam is free."  
  
He looked down at the battered woman in his arms who could hardly stand and said, "And just what do you think you can do about it in this condition?"  
  
Thea laughed very softly, "You'd be surprised, Matt. Believe me, you'd be surprised."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
ALLIES  
  
Chapter 47  
  
Evening had come and the sheriff's office was empty except for Adam in his cell. Lying on his back on his cot, he had his hands stacked behind his head and was thinking hard about Abe's murder and the story he had remembered - the story his father had verified earlier in the day.  
  
His memory had been correct. Fifty years ago a man had been shot and killed while in bed asleep. His wife had been next to him, but remained unharmed. She had been left with two girls to take care of and the murder had never been solved.  
  
One girl had married a man named Mueller and the other a man named Sharpe. And now Hannah Mueller's son had also been murdered in a strikingly similar manner. Of course this had to be much, much more than a coincidence.  
  
Adam heard the front door open and he sat up to see Hannah and Sadie enter. He instantly became fully alert, not completely sure what this visit was about. He got to his feet and went to stand by the bars.  
  
Smiling he said, "Ladies, what brings you out tonight?"  
  
The two elderly women smiled back. "We came to see you Adam," Hannah said.  
  
Sadie nodded, "After all, it's our fault you're in here.  
  
Adam stared at them for a moment, then slowly smiled. He took the key he had stolen from Roy's key ring when he had locked himself in earlier in the day from a pocket, unlocked the door then held it open for them. The two women chuckled at his cleverness, came in, and settled themselves on his bunk.  
  
Adam remained standing in front of them as he asked, "So how is it your fault that I'm in here?" He looked down at them with one brow raised and a half smile.  
  
The one woman poked the other in the ribs with an elbow, "Would you look at that innocent expression, Sadie." Hannah chortled.  
  
"My land, he looks as though butter wouldn't melt in his mouth."  
  
They laughed together then Sadie continued, "Better sit yourself down sonny, we need to tell you a thing or two."  
  
Adam laughed himself and left the cell to bring back a chair. He set it down backward, straddled it, and leaned on the back as he grinned at the two bright-eyed women.  
  
"Before you start, please answer one question for me. Which one of you actually shot your father?"  
  
"I told you he was a smart one," Sadie laughed, "and handsome as the devil, too."  
  
Hannah smiled at her sister, "Usually a looker like him doesn't have enough smarts to get in out of the rain. That Thea is a lucky girl."  
  
Adam's brows rose, "You've been to see my wife?"  
  
"Just this afternoon," Sadie answered. "And what a terrible thing Abraham did to her," she shook her head.  
  
"What are you three up to?" he asked anxiously, now that he knew Thea was involved.  
  
"Saving your life and getting you out of jail." Hannah answered him.  
  
"And as for my father," Hannah continued, "you'll just have to go on wondering. We've never told a single soul and we never will."  
  
Sadie leaned toward him then, "You need to understand that Poppa was beating Momma something awful. There was no one who would help so we decided to take care of it ourselves."  
  
"Oh, he was a terrible man," Hannah sighed, "and somehow I married a man almost exactly like him. I never have understood that." She shook her head bewildered.  
  
"Tweren't your fault," Sadie consoled her sister, "You didn't know what he was hidin' from you."  
  
Hannah shrugged, "Doesn't matter now."  
  
Adam suddenly sat up straighter - something had occurred to him. "Wait a minute. If Abe and Gretchen are your children than that means they are first cousins." He couldn't help an expression of distaste from passing over his face.  
  
"Oh no, dear. We really aren't sisters we were just raised that way. We're only cousins, but Sadie here had no family left after her Momma died, so my Momma took her in and we've been sisters in our hearts ever since."  
  
Adam nodded, his sharp eyes looking at them expectantly. "Can you tell me why you did it? Why you killed Abraham?"  
  
Sadie and Hannah glanced at each other and when they turned back to him their eyes were bright with anger.  
  
"He was killing our grandchildren," Sadie said simply while Hannah remained silent. In a moment she hung her head and he could see tears falling. Sadie put her arms around her and tried to comfort her life-long friend.  
  
When her tears finally stopped Hannah raised her head to look at Adam. "I brought that monster into this world and I sent him out again. I should have done it sooner, but I was too weak. Him attacking your wife was the last straw for us. He had to be stopped, just like Poppa."  
  
Not in the least bit shocked, Adam looked at the two elderly women with respect and compassion. They had refused to be victims, even though the act of killing the two men was against the law he couldn't find it in his heart to condemn them for it. They had done what they felt they had to do to stop the killing of the innocent.  
  
All three of them looked up when they heard Roy come in the door. He took one look at the occupants of the cell and hurried over.  
  
"What's going on here?"  
  
"A confession of sorts," Adam replied, not looking at Roy, just continuing to smile at the elderly women.  
  
"Oh yes, we confess everything freely and completely" Hannah said to Roy while Sadie nodded vigorously.  
  
"But we don't really have time to go over that again," Sadie said. "Aaron and six of his cousins will be here soon to take Adam away and hang him."  
  
"What!" Roy almost exploded while Adam remained calm and just waited for the ladies to continue.  
  
Hannah shocked the sheriff by chuckling. "But you don't have to worry about that, I'm sure Thea has taken care of everything by now."  
  
"Oh God," Adam said as he stood and looked around frantic with the idea of Thea being in danger again.  
  
Sadie was just about to reassure him when the front door opened and Barbara came in with Thea leaning heavily on her arm.  
  
Adam breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her then was out of the cell and picking her up in his arms in only a few seconds. He carried her back then put her down on the chair he had been sitting in. He went down on one knee in front of her and looked up into her face anxiously.  
  
"Are you alright?" he said noting how her complexion had started to take on a grayish cast and her eyes were dark with pain.  
  
She nodded and automatically put out a hand to touch him, but then let her misshapen hands fall limply back into her lap again. "I'll be fine once you are out of here and safe," she said then looked toward the front door when it opened and three women came in. No sooner had they closed the door and moved into the center of the room than it opened again as two more came in.  
  
Adam stood and looked at the women with narrowed eyes, then back to his wife's face. She just smiled at him and shrugged as six more women came in. Then he started to get the idea and couldn't help but laugh at the cleverness of their plan.  
  
A steady stream of women was filling the room and the overflow began to move into the cell. Barbara had pulled down the shades on all the windows and the room remained reasonably quiet as the women only spoke in hushed voices.  
  
When the stream finally stopped Barbara stepped up on a chair and they all turned to her. "Ladies, they should be here very soon, so please no more talking, stay alert, and stick with the plan. We can pull this off if we just remember the aim here is that no one else gets hurt." The crowd of women nodded almost as one then turned to face the back door, which had been unlocked and left only partially closed.  
  
Adam moved to stand in front of Thea to shield her if anything should go wrong, but she would have none of that and rose to step forward and stand beside him. He put his arm around her shoulders and encouraged her to lean into him. She did, and they all waited in silence.  
  
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When Mueller and his men reached the back door to the jail they immediately saw that it wasn't completely closed. Without stopping to think as usual, Aaron shoved it open and the seven men rushed inside. The women were waiting and ready.  
  
Each man was grabbed and pulled into the crowd, his weapon taken, and then he was pushed and shoved to keep him off balance until each one stumbled into an open area by the front door.  
  
When the crowd spit the last man out, all movement ceased and the women just watched the men with impassive faces for a few moments waiting to see what their reactions would be. The men stared back in disbelief.  
  
At some unseen signal, the crowd of women parted and Aaron saw his mother standing in the cell doorway. Adam was right behind her with his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Ma?" he said, not understanding what was going on.  
  
His mother slowly walked up to him, then reached up with a strong, work- hardened hand and slapped him in the face.  
  
"Is this how I raised you? Stirring your cousins up into helping you kill an innocent man?"  
  
"He's not innocent! He murdered Abe."  
  
"No he didn't! I did, and I'd do it again if I had to."  
  
Aaron just stared down at her with stricken eyes. "Ma, how..." he started to say, but his voice died. His mother just looked back at him distastefully then swept her hard gaze across the rest of the men.  
  
"Get out!" she spat at them then turned to walk back through the crowd. The narrow aisle closed behind her as her remaining son looked on in dismay. When she reached the cell doorway Adam was still there waiting for her, his face tight with anger at her son and etched with lines of pain, in deep sympathy for her own. She stood in front of him with her head down while silent tears of shame for what her sons had done fell. He put his arms around her and gave her someone other than Sadie to lean on for the first time in her life.  
  
The crowd of women began to slowly move forward then, and the seven men retreated through the front door, dragging a still stunned Aaron Mueller with them.  
  
When the door slammed shut behind them everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and the women looked at each other, not quite believing it had worked. To their credit, there was no laughter or voices raised in celebration. They just began to slowly move into the cell to press a hand to Thea's shoulder or to kiss her cheek. Her eyes overflowed with tears of gratitude and relief, the first tears she had allowed herself to cry since she came back to consciousness the day before. Adam still held Hannah and he nodded his silent thanks to each woman who paused to meet his eyes.  
  
The crowd slowly melted away in twos and threes until only the two elderly women, Adam, Thea, Barbara, and Roy were left.  
  
Roy had wisely stayed uninvolved having retreated to a corner by the cell with Barbara from the beginning. Now, the two looked at each other with pleased smiles.  
  
Adam had an arm around Hannah's shoulders as he guided her back to sit next to her sister and friend when Roy came to stand in the cell doorway. After Hannah was settled he said, "Adam, take your wife home."  
  
For a brief moment Adam almost felt torn, as though he would be abandoning the two elderly women. But they both looked up at him with eyes that were bright again and expressions that told him to take care of his wife. He smiled back and leaned down to kiss each one on the cheek, then turned to pick Thea up and carried her out the front door with Barbara following closely behind.  
  
Hannah and Sadie watched them go and when the door shut behind them Hannah said, "If only I was about 30 years younger."  
  
Sadie shook her head laughing at her friend, "You could be 40 or 50 years younger and it wouldn't make any difference. Those two are permanently joined and God help anyone who ever tries to get in the way." Then she turned to give her friend a knowing look, "But I DID notice you hung on to him as long as you could!"  
  
Her sister raised her eyes toward heaven and grinned. "Wouldn't you?" she asked in a reasonable tone of voice and the two laughed until they were out of breath.  
  
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Thea had laid her head on Adam's shoulder and ground her teeth against the pain as he carried her down the street. He was about to stop at the office she shared with Matt, but she whispered, "Please, I just want to go home," as tears of weakness and pain slid down her face. He turned to Barbara and she stepped up to kiss Thea on the cheek.  
  
"Take her home," she said and stood there for a moment watching them continue down the street until they reached the house and he carried her in through the front door. Sighing with fatigue, but with a heart glad that everything had worked out well, she turned and hurried down a side street to her own home.  
  
Adam didn't stop until he had carried her into their room and carefully laid her down on their bed. Tears of pain were still seeping from the corners of her eyes, but he knew that removing her restrictive garments would alleviate some of that pain. He was very careful and soon she sighed in some relief, as she now lay on the bed in just her chemise.  
  
He reached to pull the covers over her, but stopped for a moment, feeling furious again for each bruise, cut, abrasion, and finger mark that stood out starkly against her white skin. He sincerely hoped that Abraham Mueller was at that moment experiencing eternal torment, while at the same time his heart still bled for Hannah. Shaking his head, he gently pulled the covers over his wife but carefully kept her arms and bandaged hands outside. He knelt next to the bed, gently touched his lips to her hand and began to pray that he would never have to see her cry such helpless tears from pain again.  
  
But in the morning he had to watch as she cried tears from a different kind of pain when the news reached them that both Hannah and Sadie had passed on while they slept, sharing one cot in their jail cell and holding each other's hands.  
  
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A little more than a month later on a bright sunny afternoon, Thea was standing at the counter in the kitchen flipping through her recipe book. She couldn't help but smile looking down at her now almost completely healed hands.  
  
Once again, Matt had shaken his head at her speedy recovery. He couldn't believe it, even though she had pointed out that her hands had always been very flexible - what some would call double-jointed. That flexibility had saved them from breaking.  
  
She had started working with her hands as soon as possible, first in just trying to take care of herself. Needing help with even the most basic of activities was more humiliating to her fiercely independent spirit than anything else. So she had forced herself through the pain and was soon self-sufficient.  
  
After that she concentrated on building up strength, then moved on to control by filleting, dicing, chopping, and de-boning everything she cooked. Now she could cut paper-thin slices of anything. She smiled remembering how her family had been watching her closely and carefully, actually worrying that she would cut off a finger! Shaking her head she focused on the book again.  
  
Suddenly she straightened up and turned around, certain that someone was watching her. Someone was.  
  
Adam and a large, fluffy white dog stood in the kitchen doorway. Startled, she had taken a quick, deep breath, then let it out slowly as she put a hand to her chest. Her husband spoke when she smiled at them both.  
  
"Theadora, this is Minnie. You two will be spending a lot of time together from now on."  
  
Thea moved toward them, but stopped while still a good distance from them both. She knew better than getting too close to a strange dog. "Oh, Adam! She's gorgeous!" Clasping her hands in front of her, she looked down into the dog's intelligent, friendly blue eyes, then into her husband's. As usual, Thea lost her concentration and found herself thinking about how beautiful HIS were.  
  
"Thea!" he said sharply and she started guiltily. When she focused on his face he was shaking his head. He looked down at the dog.  
  
"Minnie," he said and the dog looked up at him alertly, her ears standing up as she stared at him intently. He beckoned his wife to come closer saying, "Thea, put your hand out, palm up."  
  
The dog took a step forward and began to sniff Thea's hand all over then turned her head to look back at Adam a moment later, questioningly.  
  
"Thea," he said carefully, then said her name again. The dog turned her head back to look at Thea, then back to him again. "Good girl," he said and patted the side of his thigh. The dog grinned at them both and took a step back to stand next to him.  
  
"Minnie is going to be your protection. Just like Balor guards the twins, she will be guarding you." He gave Thea an odd, calculating look. "And that's not all. Anytime you want to make house calls, you will come over to the office and collect Walt. He will drive you anywhere you need to go." His expression darkened and his eyes became angry. "You will NEVER go on house calls by yourself again whether they are in town, or out. You will NOT do something so foolish again. Do you understand? No house calls of any kind without Minnie and Walt being with you. No exceptions or excuses. NEVER AGAIN."  
  
"Alright."  
  
He stared, trying to figure out what she was up to - no argument was not the reaction he had expected. She smiled.  
  
"Theadora, what are you smiling about? I mean what I say."  
  
She nodded. "Oh, I know you do and you're absolutely right. No more house calls without Minnie and Walt. I promise," she said as her smile widened and his eyes narrowed.  
  
"I'm sorry I did that and I agree with you, it was a foolish thing to do," she chuckled and his eyes narrowed even more. Her quick acceptance of his edict had him uneasy.  
  
"If you think you'll talk your way around me on this it won't work."  
  
"I have no intention to, and I appreciate it more than you know, especially because of what it means."  
  
He gave her a skeptical look. "Just what DOES it mean?"  
  
She laughed, "It means you looove me," she half sang.  
  
His expression turned dubious. "I'm still angry."  
  
"I know, but that's also because you looove me," she half sang again. Adam rolled his eyes as she moved forward and reached up to pull his head down to kiss him.  
  
"Now you're being nauseating, I'm going back to the office," he said when she pulled away and took one of his hands in both of hers. She started tugging him toward the back stairs.  
  
"Thea, it's not even noon yet."  
  
"Mmm hmm, I know. The babies are taking a nap and everyone else is out of the house," she said while giving him a smoky look through her upper lashes.  
  
"It's the middle of a work day," he argued as he found himself allowing her to pull him toward the steps.  
  
"You're the boss, you can take a little time off if you want to." She had managed to drag him half way across the kitchen. He almost smiled.  
  
"I'm still going to be mad," he warned.  
  
"That's ok because..."  
  
He interrupted, "I know, I know, because I looove you," he said sarcastically. She gave him a cheeky grin over her shoulder when they reached the bottom step.  
  
"Just so we understand each other," he said firmly.  
  
"Oh, we do, we definitely do," she said as she started up.  
  
"Well in that case," he said and swatted her on the behind - she squeaked in surprise, then laughed.  
  
"Get up there girl!" he teased, and then chased her up the stairs. As they ran into their room Minnie entered the hallway and when they shut the door she sighed and took up her guarding position, lying to the side.  
  
A few moments later her ears pricked up when she heard Thea giggling. Minnie sighed again, touched her velvety nose to the door, and then laid her head down on her front paws as she smiled a very big canine smile.  
  
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WEDDING EVE  
  
Chapter 48  
  
The day before Hoss and Dora's wedding had been a very busy one. Everyone had been rushing around with last minute preparations, and then Reverend Jacob Albright had come to dinner. They had all lingered at the table listening to the tall, kind-faced man tell horror stories of other weddings. He had proved to be so entertaining they were sorry when he finally took his leave, especially Dora. For some reason the minister's calm, quiet voice recounting other people's wedding mishaps in a dry manner had helped her to relax after being in a nervous frenzy all day.  
  
Everyone else had gone to bed, but the four Cartwright men were still gathered in Adam's office and the hour was getting late.  
  
"I'm still sorry that Dante couldn't make it to the wedding," Adam said. "Dora hasn't shown it, but she must be disappointed."  
  
Hoss surprised him by shaking his head. "Course she misses her brother, but she told me it only seemed right and fittin' that YOU should walk her down the aisle since you're responsible for all this."  
  
Adam laughed, "Oh no you don't, it's too early to start blaming me."  
  
Ben and Joe chuckled, but Hoss just shook his head again and smiled.  
  
The clock struck the hour and Adam suddenly stood saying, "I can't believe I almost forgot this," and hurried over to his desk. When he came back he was carrying a sheaf of papers backed in blue. He motioned for Hoss and Joe to come over and handed the document to his father.  
  
"You three look this over. I'll be right back," was all he said and hurried through the office door.  
  
Ben held the document up so all three of them could see, but after reading the first paragraph they stopped reading and stared at each other.  
  
"Pa, is that what I think it is?" Joe asked.  
  
Starting to laugh as he flipped through the pages Ben said, "Yes, Joseph, this is a partnership proposal and the deed to the entire Jacob King spread."  
  
Hoss was grinning, "All of it?"  
  
"All of it."  
  
"Dang, no wonder that land auction kept gettin' delayed."  
  
His father was nodding when Adam returned.  
  
"Well," he said as he came through the door. "What do you three think? All you have to do is sign it, and the land is yours."  
  
"Yours too," Hoss said.  
  
"True, but you can just think of me as your...silent partner," Adam grinned at their expressions.  
  
"How did you manage to talk Jason into selling you the whole spread?" Ben asked.  
  
"You'd be surprised at what cash in hand can get you, Pa."  
  
Ben laughed again while Joe shook his head in disbelief, "Cash?"  
  
Adam answered his youngest brother's cryptic question. "Yes, I sold my business holdings in Chicago. I'm sorry, but that's what took so long." His expression became serious. "I don't want any of you to feel that you HAVE to join in this partnership. And I also think this land should not be merged with the Ponderosa, however, the three of you can do whatever you deem fit with it. And if anyone of us at any time should decide they want to sell, the other three partners have the option of buying at the current market price first, before an outsider can buy." He paused again. "Does that seem fair enough to you?"  
  
His father and brothers nodded.  
  
"Now, I'm sure you didn't get to the percentages of sharing in the profits, if there are any at first, but I'm sure you'll see them as being fair. They're on the last page."  
  
Ben flipped to the last page, ran his eyes over the numbers, and gave his eldest son a sharp look. "This hardly seems fair to you, Adam."  
  
"Oh but it is. All I'm putting up is the land. You three will be investing what is known as 'sweat equity'. Remember, I'm your silent partner. And I volunteer to keep the books, that is, if you think you can trust me." He smiled as he looked from face to face.  
  
"Now you don't have to make your minds up right now..." Adam continued, but stopped when his father stood, went over to the desk, picked up a pen, and signed. Hoss and Joe were right behind him.  
  
Adam grinned as he unconsciously lifted his hand to stroke his now non- existent beard - he still missed it sometimes. Then he shook his head and went to bring a decanter and glasses over to the desk. Pa poured the brandy while Adam signed. The four men stood around the desk and smiled at each other.  
  
"Gentlemen," Adam said as he raised his glass, "here's to our new partnership." The other three men echoed the phrase. "And to Hoss and Dora's wedding," he paused as they drank again. "Just remember Hoss, man is incomplete until he marries...and then he is finished."  
  
It took a moment for his father and brothers to fully understand what he had just said, but when they did Joe started choking from some of the brandy going down the wrong way. Hoss gave him a helping hand by pounding the young man on the back as he laughed. Ben just shook his head as he smiled.  
  
"Well boys, I'm off to bed," he said as he set his now empty glass on the desktop and looked first at Adam and then at Hoss. "But before I go, I have to say I could not be more pleased with the women you two have brought into this family." He turned to Joe and reached out to grasp his youngest son's left shoulder. "Follow their example Joe, and you will not go wrong." He gave Joe's shoulder a firm squeeze, said "Good night," and left.  
  
Joe coughed a few more times, managed to wheeze out his own "Good night" and followed his father.  
  
Hoss and Adam looked at each other with serious expressions. Finally Hoss broke the silence.  
  
"Lordy, I didn't expect that, did you?"  
  
"About Thea, yes, but I didn't know he approved of Dora just as much. We shouldn't be surprised, though. What could he possibly find in Dora to object to? Nothing."  
  
"That's true," Hoss answered as they moved over to the sofa and sat down at opposite ends.  
  
Adam yawned and propped his feet on the low table in front of him. Then he turned to his brother and smiled. "Alright Hoss, here's a stupid question - what's on your mind?"  
  
Hoss chuckled, but kept staring into the fire as he thought for a moment. "I've been watchin' you and Thea for weeks, tryin' to figure out how you two make it work."  
  
"Our marriage, you mean?"  
  
"Yep," his brother said, then turned his head to look at Adam. "I know it's not, but you make it look easy."  
  
"No, it's anything but easy." Adam's eyes narrowed and he leaned back as he thought about the question for a while. "You know, I think the most important thing is that we are determined to make it. We're both too pig- headed stubborn to ever let anything defeat us, or to let anyone or anything get in the way. Neither of us would tolerate that - from ourselves I mean. Is any of this making sense to you?"  
  
Hoss nodded, "Kinda like you're in a three-legged race?"  
  
Adam put his head back and laughed. "Exactly!"  
  
"What else? There's gotta be more."  
  
"There is - friendship is very important too."  
  
"Friendship?"  
  
"Yes. Couldn't you, right now, say that Dora is your friend?"  
  
"My friend?" Hoss thought about that, and then smiled. "Yeah, I guess I could."  
  
"That is so important. There are going to be times in your marriage, and I can tell you this from experience, when it will seem like love just flew out the window. If you don't have that friendship to fall back on you will really be in trouble." He paused to yawn and stretch. "And then one day, when you're not looking, love will fly right back in."  
  
"It will?"  
  
"Oh yes. Take my word for it - it will. At least it will if you don't do something extremely foolish like looking for it someplace else. And if you ever do, I am going to come down on you like a ton of bricks!"  
  
The other man shook his head, aware that his older brother would be only too happy to accuse him of being unfaithful in revenge. When he turned toward him, Adam gave Hoss a narrow-eyed look saying, "Ha! I'll be watching YOU."  
  
Chuckling Hoss said, "I guess I'll have to be real careful I don't get outta line then."  
  
"You got that right," Adam said with a sharp smile. "Another thing I can tell you is to always pick your fights carefully. DO NOT fight over petty things. That will be very hard to do, but find a way, even if it means going out to the barn and punching the wall to cool off. Do that if necessary."  
  
"You've done that?!"  
  
"Have you forgotten who I'm married too? Of course I have. I've done more damage to my hands on barn walls than beating on people."  
  
Hoss snorted with laughter.  
  
"Yeah, laugh it up now, but you'll find out in spite of your even temper."  
  
"I bet you're right."  
  
Adam gave his favorite response, "Of course I'm right."  
  
Hoss laughed harder, "Must be awful hard for you to stay so humble." His older brother just grinned, but then his expression turned serious. When the other man was over his laughing fit, Adam sat up and turned toward him. Hoss did the same.  
  
"Now I have a question for you. Who do you think is in charge in this house?"  
  
Surprised by the question Hoss opened his mouth, but at first didn't know what to answer, and then made up his mind. "You are."  
  
"Correct. I am and don't ever forget it. But then I'm not heavy handed either." Adam shook his head, "I am perfectly aware there are men in this town who think I'm a fool for letting Thea get away with, well, everything she gets away with. But they don't understand. Thea's spirit is one of the things I love about her the most. Why would I ever want to break her? That would be ridiculous, yet there are many men who would feel the need to do just that. Idiots."  
  
"That WOULD be stupid."  
  
"Yes it would be, and the reason I brought this up is because Dora has an independent spirit too. There will be many times that you will find you have to put your foot down with her. But be choosy about which things, be careful how you do it, and be firm. I know that will be hard for you, but I think you can do it."  
  
Hoss was nodding as he thought that over when Adam said, "I can't believe it's almost one o'clock already. We better both haul ourselves upstairs and get at least a little sleep." He stood.  
  
Still deep in thought the big man looked up. "What?"  
  
Adam smiled, "Come on, you can continue your heavy thinking upstairs."  
  
"Oh...OK," Hoss stood and started for the door while Adam put out the lamps and checked the fire screen.  
  
They went up the stairs and down the hallway to Hoss's room. He had his hand on the doorknob when his older brother reached out to grip his shoulder.  
  
"Your life is going to be entirely different after tomorrow. But I'll always be here if you need someone to talk to. Just remember, my marriage isn't perfect and yours won't be either. I can guarantee you that."  
  
Hoss looked down for a moment then met the other man's gaze, his bright blue eyes shining as he smiled. He threw his arms around his brother, gave him a bone-crushing hug, abruptly let go then opened his room door and went in.  
  
Adam chuckled softly as he turned toward the room he shared with Thea. When he was at the door, he paused and sighed. "Good luck, Hoss. You're going to need it," he said under his breath then went in.  
  
The silence that enveloped the house then seemed to be almost thrumming with anticipation, as though the sleepers were humming the same elemental tune. But that silence was quietly broken a few moments later when Hoss's door opened again.  
  
He carefully poked his head out to look up and down the hallway then stepped out. Reaching back inside the room he pulled Dora out by the arm, walked her down the hall, opened her door, and pushed her inside.  
  
When she turned around with a soft giggle he pointed a finger at her, quietly said, "Stay!" and pulled the door shut. Only then, as he made his way back to his room, did he allow himself to smile his widest smile  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE  
  
Chapter 49  
  
Morning had just come to the cream-colored house, but Adam and Thea had been up for hours. Today was Hoss and Dora's wedding day and the already married couple was in charge of seeing that everything went as smoothly as possible.  
  
Dulcy and the staff she had brought from the hotel were racing around Thea's large kitchen efficiently, keeping one eye on their assigned tasks and the other on the statuesque redhead.  
  
Barbara was the first to arrive, dressed elegantly in a blue-green dress that matched her eyes. She didn't bother knocking on the front door, nobody would bother with that today. Stopping in the front hall to listen she heard the rattles and clangs coming from the kitchen and the sounds of hurrying feet from above. Recognizing Thea's quick footsteps she hurried up the stairs to find her best friend.  
  
Thea had just come out of the nursery when Barbara reached the head of the stairs. The black-haired woman turned and when she saw her friend she hurried down the hall smiling her usual wide smile.  
  
"Dear Lord! You are absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed as she took Barbara's hands and stepped back. She whistled appreciatively and the other woman actually blushed. The dress was made of two layers, the silk under dress was the blue of tropical waters while the over dress was sheer tissue of silk in a sea-foam green. The two layers touched and separated when she moved, giving the impression of rippling water.  
  
Her honey-blond hair had been pulled into a sleek French twist and she wore white-gold earrings and a necklace set with glittering aquamarines.  
  
Thea allowed herself a few more moments to admire the beautiful woman then sighed as she hugged Barbara carefully, not wanting to crumple the dress.  
  
"How's Dora this morning?" Barbara asked when Thea stepped back.  
  
"As skittish as a filly and unbelievably over-eager. We've already had to restrain her from taking off for the church on foot. Then we talked her into taking the dress off so it wouldn't get badly creased. I'm hoping that will keep her from running out the door on impulse, but you never know with Dora!" The two women laughed at the bride's endearing impatience.  
  
They linked arms and walked down the hall toward Dora's room, opened the door, and went in. The young woman was pacing in her shift and petticoats as Cassie and Marie watched her carefully, looking for any warning signs that she might bolt.  
  
When the two older women came in she turned toward them, her face lighting up at the enchanting vision that was Barbara.  
  
"Oh my!" she said as she rushed forward. "Barbara, you look lovely," she finished without a trace of the jealousy many other brides would have exhibited at another woman dressed so exquisitely. Barbara laughed and reached forward to take the younger woman's hands in her own and led Dora over to the bed where they both sat down. The two plunged into a deep discussion about dressmaking and Thea breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Barbara had done this on purpose to distract the bride for a while.  
  
She slipped out the door and went to Alexander's room next. He had already been dressed in a miniature suit, exactly like those the rest of the men in the wedding would be wearing. She had instructed him to stay in his room and be careful to not mess up his clothes, but when she went in the room was empty.  
  
"Oh God," Thea said under her breath. "Where the hell has that boy gotten to?" She made a frustrated sound through clenched teeth as she shook her head, went back into the hall, and moved on to Annalise's room.  
  
The little girl was sitting quietly with a picture book in her lap - she looked up when her mother came in.  
  
"Have you seen Alex?" Thea asked, her expression still marred by an irritated frown.  
  
Annalise shook her head 'no' and wondered for the first time why her brother just couldn't ever seem to behave himself.  
  
Seeing her daughter's solemn expression Thea laughed and hurried forward to pick her up and swing her around. "Don't worry, I'm sure your brother is around here somewhere. But now it's time to get you ready, love," she said and settled Annalise on her hip as she went to the closet and pulled out the dress she would be wearing as the flower girl.  
  
Her dress was similar to the bride's and made out of rose-blush silk. The waist was empire style, the neckline was high, but square, and the skirt was ankle length, falling in graceful folds. Thea quickly pulled the dress her daughter was wearing off over her head then replace it with the silk creation. In a few moments the child was dressed.  
  
Then she sat down on the bed and positioned Annalise in front of her to brush out the little girl's long, curly, black hair. When she was satisfied her hair was tangle-free she settled the wreath of small roses made out of the rose-blush silk on her small head. Long streamers of ribbons in the same rose-blush color flowed down her back in stark contrast to her shiny black hair.  
  
Her mother turned her around and smiled into her deep emerald eyes. "Honey, you look like a princess!" She stood and then smiled when her daughter giggled. "Come on sweetpea, I'm keeping YOU with me while I get ready," she said and the two left the room hand in hand.  
  
A few moments later Alexander appeared at the head of the back stairs with a faint sheen of sweat on his face and his eyes wide. He slowly made his way toward the room where he knew Hoss and Joe were. He turned the knob and went in without knocking. Both men turned when they heard the door open.  
  
When he saw the boy's expression Hoss said, "What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't feel so good, Uncle Hoss," Alex replied and the big man immediately came over to pick him up. Joe put his hand on the boy's forehead.  
  
"He doesn't have a fever," he had no sooner said when his nephew made an odd choking noise and threw up a bright colored splash down the front of Hoss's crisp white shirt.  
  
When he saw what he had done he started to cry, but stopped surprised when he realized his uncle was laughing. "You poor kid," Hoss said and handed the boy to Joe.  
  
"Hoss, this isn't funny!" Joe said as he watched his older brother carefully wipe up the mess with a towel, then shrug out of the shirt.  
  
He turned back to take Alex from Joe and quietly said, "Go find Thea," as he sat down on the edge of the bed and placed the boy in his lap. Joe quickly left.  
  
"Feel better?" he said looking down into his nephew's upturned face.  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Good. Now somethin' tells me you were down in the kitchen stealin' sweets. Were you?"  
  
The boy hung his head. "Uh huh."  
  
Hoss chuckled and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Are you gonna tell Pa?" Alex asked anxiously.  
  
Hoss chuckled again, "Nope. You are."  
  
Alex sighed and laid his head against his uncle's chest. "Yes, sir."  
  
"Look, your Pa is goin' to be a lot less angry if YOU tell him. If I do he'll be hoppin' mad."  
  
The boy nodded then sniffed. "Are you mad at me?" he said in a small voice.  
  
"No, accidents happen. 'Specially to little boys who don't do what they're told."  
  
"But how are you gonna get married without a shirt, Uncle Hoss?"  
  
"Don't you worry, we'll think of somethin'" his uncle answered as Thea burst into the room and rushed up to them. She immediately felt her son's forehead.  
  
"Joe's right, he doesn't have any fever. What happened?" she said as she picked up the shirt to see if it could be cleaned.  
  
"Well, this shirt is a total loss," she looked at her son. "You ate too much icing, didn't you?"  
  
Her son hung his head.  
  
"Alexander," she said with a sigh of exasperation, "I TOLD you to stay in your room."  
  
"I'm sorry, Ma." He looked up at her with a slightly green face and anxious eyes. "Do I have to tell Pa what I did right now?"  
  
Thea sighed again, "No, I think that can wait until after the wedding. But I better give you something to settle your stomach. We don't want the ring bearer throwing up during the ceremony." She came to take him from Hoss's arms and kissed him on the forehead.  
  
"Oh Alex, how do you get yourself into these things?" she said then turned to Hoss. "I'm so sorry, Hoss. I'll try to think of something."  
  
They both looked toward the door when it opened and Joe came in. He had a white shirt draped over his arm and the other two adults breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"I borrowed this from Charlie. He said it's a little tight on him so it should fit Hoss well enough," he said with a grin.  
  
Hoss quickly put the shirt on and it was only a little loose.  
  
"Thank God," Thea breathed and reached up to pinch Joe's cheek with her free hand as he laughed. "All this and brains too!" she said while giving him a quick one-armed hug then hurried from the room.  
  
When she shut the door behind her Joe turned to his brother who was now almost completely dressed.  
  
His professionally tailored suit was a deep, dark blue and so was the string tie Joe stepped forward to tie for him. He also wore an ivory colored brocade vest under his suit coat.  
  
Joe's suit was the same except his vest was made of pearl gray brocade. When he was finished tying his brother's tie he stepped back and looked Hoss up and down. He grinned.  
  
"You look great," he said and his older brother just smiled. "But how come you're so calm, Hoss? I would have thought you'd be a nervous wreck."  
  
The big man shrugged, "No reason to be when you know what you're gettin' into. And I do."  
  
"Just remember that phrase," Joe laughed as he reached into his suit pocket for the rings then froze when they weren't there. Then he quickly reached into the pocket on the other side and could breathe again. He was determined to prove to everyone he could be just as responsible as his brothers by fulfilling the duties of best man to the letter.  
  
Hoss actually laughed and clapped Joe on the back, almost knocking him down as Adam came in. He smiled at hearing the groom laughing.  
  
"Well boys, it's time to go. The ladies can't come out until we do," he paused to run his sharp eyes over both of his brothers and chuckled when Hoss said, "Do we pass?"  
  
"Definitely," he answered with a grin. "Are you ready?"  
  
Hoss didn't answer for a few beats then grinned back. "'Bout as ready as I'll ever be!" he said and the three of them laughed.  
  
"Amen to that, brother!" Adam said as he opened the door and waved them through. He paused to raise his eyes heavenward. "Please Lord, all I ask is just no more major accidents," he said low then stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Adam, Hoss, and Joe entered the church from the back and made their way to the anteroom behind and to the right of the altar. Joe opened the door he and Hoss would go through when the ceremony was about to start and turned back to whisper, "I don't think I've ever seen this many people in church before! Looks like the whole town is out there!"  
  
Everyone who had received an invitation had accepted; no one wanted to miss seeing one of the Cartwright sons getting married.  
  
Adam's four deputies had the duty of being ushers and were waiting outside the other end of the church for the rest of the wedding party to arrive. Ben was in charge of making sure they made it on time and Adam couldn't help but wonder how he was doing with the women and the children.  
  
The three men talked quietly for a while then Joe opened the door to look again and reported that their father was now seated next to the aisle in the first pew on the groom's side with Barbara next to him.  
  
"Well that means the ladies are here so I better get moving," Adam said and held his hand out to Joe who gave him the rings. With Alex as ring bearer they thought it would be safer for Joe to hold onto them until the last minute. After giving his youngest brother's shoulder a squeeze he turned to pull Hoss into a tight hug. Then he was gone, leaving through the door they had just come in.  
  
Hoss took a deep breath, slowly let it out then nodded to Joe who opened the door and held it to let his older brother go through first. When the two of them appeared Reverend Albright came through a door to the left and stepped up to the altar. Hoss and Joe moved to take their places to the right as every person in the room craned their necks to try and get a good look. The sighs from the many female guests packed into the pews was audible and Joe leaned toward Hoss to whisper, "Getting' a little breezy in here, don't you think? Might as well have had the wedding outside."  
  
His older brother's lips twitched and he turned his head away from Joe's grin until he thought he had the urge to laugh tamped down. Then he turned back and whispered, "Stop it! I swear I'll sic Thea on you if you make me laugh." For some reason that struck them as being hilarious so they both shook with silent laughter for a few moments, but sobered up quickly enough when they noticed Ben giving them a sharp look.  
  
The church organist finished the hymn he was softly playing and the room became almost silent as they all waited, looking toward the back of the church expectantly. The man started to softly play "Sweet Sacrament Divine" and the twins appeared, Annalise carrying a handled basket of rose petals and Alex carefully holding a pillow with the two rings fastened to it in both hands. The children's expressions were suitably solemn as the little girl concentrated on scattering the petals evenly and the little boy focused on keeping the small pillow level. When the two children had almost reached the altar they stopped and turned their heads to look at their grandfather with big grins.  
  
Ben quickly motioned for them to go on and they did while soft laughter swept through the crowd. Their grandfather just shook his head. They separated at the altar as instructed with Annalise moving to the left and Alexander moving to the right to stand next to Joe. His young uncle reached down to put one hand on top of the boy's head and leaned down to whisper, "That was just right, Alex." The boy smiled hugely at the unfamiliar words.  
  
After the two children had separated Cassie appeared on John's arm and the two young people started down. When they reached the mid point Mike and Marie followed. Dylan with Dulcy appeared when the first couple reached the altar and separated.  
  
The men wore the same dark blue suit, while the women wore dresses similar to the one Thea had dressed Annalise in. The headpieces they wore were exactly the same and each woman carried a bouquet of white and pink rosebuds.  
  
When Dylan and Dulcy reached the altar and moved to take their places, Nate with Thea as the matron of honor stepped into the doorway. The women sighed with pleasure when they saw the rose-blush silk brocade dress she was wearing. Like the others the waist was empire style and the neckline was square. The long sleeves hugged Thea's slender arms closely and the skirt was slightly extended in the back to give the impression of a train.  
  
When they reached the altar the organist finished the last few bars and paused before beginning to play "Panis Angelicus". Everyone stood and turned toward the door when Adam with Dora on his arm moved into view.  
  
They started down the aisle and Thea had to put her hand over her mouth to muffle a laugh when she realized Adam was pulling back on her cousin's arm to keep her from rushing forward. He bent his head down and slightly to the side to whisper, "Dora, slow down! We'll get there, I promise." The young woman's face flushed a becoming pink and she quickly gave Adam an embarrassed smile. She relaxed when he patted the hand she had curled around his arm and grinned back as they continued down the aisle.  
  
Joe heard Hoss's sharp intake of breath, but didn't look at him - he couldn't take his eyes off of Dora either. Her long, wavy chestnut hair flowed down her back unconfined to her waist. Her headpiece was made of ivory-colored silk roses with a sheer ivory veil attached to the back. The dress was made of the same ivory silk brocade Hoss's vest was made of and the design was almost the same as Thea's, except the bride's parted in the front to reveal an underskirt of white taffeta. The brocade skirt extended further in the back to form a short train, and the sleeves ended in points that covered the backs of her hands.  
  
When they reached the altar Hoss moved forward and Adam took the hand Dora was tightly clutching his arm with in his own. Then he turned to lead her forward and placed it in his brother's hand. Hoss nodded his thanks and his older brother did something unusual then by merely moving to the right to stand next to Joe and behind his son.  
  
Reverend Albright smiled and said, "Please be seated," to the congregation and began the ceremony.  
  
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined and if any man can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, let him speak now or forever after hold his peace." The minister paused, smiling at the couple standing in front of him, and then continued. "Let us pray," he said and every person knelt.  
  
When the sound of muffled laughter swept through the pews Adam looked around trying to spot the source of their mirth. When he met his father's gaze, Ben nodded toward Hoss. Adam leaned back and saw the letters "HELP" written in bright red paint on the bottom of Hoss's shoes, two letters on each sole. Then he noticed his four deputies, who were kneeling to his right, practically choking as they tried to restrain their laughter. He sighed with exasperation and Hoss turned his head to give him a puzzled look.  
  
His older brother leaned over to whisper to Joe who then leaned over to whisper in Hoss's ear. When he finished Hoss leaned forward to pin the four deputies with a hard stare. The four men immediately did their best to try and look innocent, but failed utterly. The minister cleared his throat and everyone bowed their heads.  
  
"Dear God, we ask you to bestow on Dorathea and Eric a true love to unite them to each other; patience to reconcile their differences; forgiveness to cover their failures; guidance to lead them in the right way; courage to face times of testing; and Your inner peace to comfort them and uphold them in times of distress. Bless them in the living of their lives together, and deepen their love for each other. We ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen."  
  
"Please be seated," he said to the congregation then turned back to the couple in front of him as the wedding party stood.  
  
"Do you, Dorathea, take this man, Eric, to be your wedded husband..." he was interrupted when the bride blurted out, "I do!"  
  
Shaking his head at her the minister continued, "to live together in the covenant of marriage?" and was interrupted by the bride saying, "I do!" again.  
  
The groom's shoulder's were shaking and everyone in the room was desperately trying to hold their laughter back now, even the minister as he continued in a choked voice, "Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him..." That was all the further he got when Dora took a deep breath and opened her mouth again. Whatever she was going to say never came out because Hoss reached across and covered her mouth with his right hand.  
  
He nodded to the reverend who then finished the rest of the question in a rush, "in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"  
  
Hoss took his hand away and they all waited expectantly for her response, but she didn't say a thing. She just continued to stare up at the man until he leaned down and whispered, "You can say 'I do' now."  
  
"I DO!" Dora practically shouted, giving the man behind the altar a brilliant smile. Her husband to be sighed as he put a hand over his eyes and shook his head.  
  
The minister paused again to be sure everyone had settled down and turned to Hoss. "Do you, Eric, take this woman, Dorathea, to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"  
  
"Well..." Hoss said and looked up as though considering the question. Everyone smiled as Dora poked him sharply in the shoulder with her fist - "Alright, alright, I do," Hoss said laughingly and the reverend put his head down to bite his lip.  
  
When he looked up again he said, "May I have the rings please?" Joe bent down to take them off the pillow Alexander was still holding, stepped forward, and handed them over. The reverend placed them on the altar praying, "Bless these rings O Lord to be a sign of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."  
  
Both Joe and Thea stepped forward this time to each collect a ring, and then returned to their places. The man behind the altar nodded at Hoss who took the ring from Joe then slipped it on Dora's finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," he said in a strong, firm voice as he smiled down into Dora's radiant face. She took Hoss's ring from Thea and quickly repeated the vow.  
  
"Now that Eric and Dorathea have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder." He paused, "You may kiss the bride," he finished and laughed with everyone else when Dora reached up to lock her hands together behind Hoss's neck and yanked his head down to kiss him. He finally had to gently pry her hands apart so he could straighten up and break the kiss.  
  
Dora stared up at him with a dazed look and he chuckled as he took her by the shoulders to turn her toward their guests. Then he took her right hand and tucked it in the crook of his elbow as the minister spoke.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Eric Cartwright."  
  
The crowd rose to their feet and burst into applause, having been highly entertained by the ceremony. Hoss grinned and Dora blushed while ducking her head, suddenly aware of her outrageous behavior.  
  
When the applause died down Reverend Albright motioned for the people to take their seats. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain seated. Adam and Theadora would like to take this opportunity to renew their vows," he said and chuckled at the sea of surprised looks in front of him. Only Hoss and Dora had been told about their plans.  
  
The new Mrs. Cartwright let go of her husband's arm and the couple separated then stepped to the side. Adam and Thea came to stand in between them as the minister quickly plunged into the vows.  
  
"Do you, Theadora, take this man, Adam, AGAIN to be your lawfully wedded husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"  
  
Thea didn't answer immediately and when Adam tugged on her hand she turned to him saying, "I'm thinking!" He gave her a narrow-eyed look then leaned down to whisper in her ear.  
  
She quickly turned back to the reverend. "I do! I swear I do, with God as my witness, I do!" she said hastily and the crowd gave up trying to be quiet, laughing outright this time.  
  
When the noise died down he repeated the question to Adam.  
  
"This is against my better judgment," he answered while giving his wife a disgruntled glance, "but I have to say 'I do.'"  
  
Shaking his head the minister continued, "Now that Adam and Theadora have AGAIN given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands, I pronounce that they are STILL husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder."  
  
Adam and Thea turned around as the crowd began to applaud again and Reverend Albright said, "Ladies and Gentlemen may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Adam CARTWRIGHT."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
AND REJOICE  
  
CHAPTER 50  
  
While Hoss and Dora's wedding had been formal, the following celebration was not. Dulcy's hotel staff had started setting up in the long building behind the church when the wedding had started. So as soon as the wedding party had come through the door she hurried to check their work. Now Dulcy was smiling widely, pleased that everything had come off without a hitch.  
  
The party was already in full swing when Adam suddenly realized he had no idea where his wife and children were. Always uneasy at that idea he began to make a circuit of the room and quickly found the twins with Marie. She had chosen to sit at a small table in a quiet corner and had pulled her chair back and to the side while the children sat on the floor in front of her with wide eyes and open mouths - Aunt Marie was the best storyteller they knew.  
  
Adam stayed back for a moment to listen and study Marie's face. He had noticed her showing signs of fatigue from standing during the ceremony and she still looked tired. Since her place at the table was empty he assumed correctly that she hadn't had anything to eat or drink yet. He moved off to the buffet and returned in a few moments to place a filled plate and a tall glass of cold lemonade on the table just as Marie finished the story.  
  
He came around to stand behind his children and said, "Alright you two, Marie needs a break. Why don't you go see what your Uncle Joe is up to?"  
  
The twins grinned at each other as they jumped to their feet then hugged Marie before scurrying off in search of Joe. They knew when their father said that he actually meant, "Go bother your Uncle Joe."  
  
Marie let out a small squeak of surprise, but then laughed when Adam picked her up, chair and all, then set her down at the table.  
  
"Sometimes I think Joe isn't the only one Alex inherited his puckish nature from," she said.  
  
"Now who could you possibly be referring to?" he answered and she shook her head as she began to eat.  
  
He sat down across the table from her and the two talked about her tentative plans to visit family until Thea called for all the single women in the room to assemble - it was time for the bride to toss the bouquet. When he heard his wife's voice Adam automatically glanced back over his shoulder, then did a double take when he realized Annalise was standing in front of the group of women.  
  
Hastily saying, "Excuse me," he hurried off as Marie snorted with laughter. She knew what he was going to do.  
  
"Hold on a minute Dora, " he called as he strode across the open space in front of the single women, swept Annalise up, and carried her away.  
  
"Oh no you don't young lady, not until your thirty," he said.  
  
"But Pa!" she protested then burst out giggling as everyone within earshot laughed at him.  
  
When he reached the other side of the room he turned around to watch. Dora called out, "One...two...three!" and tossed the bouquet. It sailed across the room, hit the ceiling, ricocheted to the left and landed in Joe's hands. He was just standing there staring down at the bouquet with a surprised look on his face when the women fell on him and they all crashed to the floor.  
  
The women quickly scrambled to their feet laughing with one petite redhead holding what was left of the bouquet triumphantly aloft as they moved away. Joe still lay on the floor. Nate and Dylan were laughing so hard they were staggering as they came to haul the dazed young man to his feet and began to brush the crushed rose petals off him.  
  
Adam and his daughter were both still laughing as he set her down, gave her a light swat on her bottom and said, "Go find your brother and try to stay out of trouble."  
  
Annalise gave him a huge grin over her shoulder then scampered away. He stood there watching her nimbly weave her way through the crowd until her brother jumped out at her and she skidded to a stop with a shriek.  
  
Even from a distance Adam recognized the way she seemed to vibrate with anger and clenched her small fists. He was not surprised when he saw her shove Alexander in the chest so hard she knocked him down. The boy lay there staring up at his sister with a startled expression as her face turned even redder with embarrassment. When Alex burst out laughing she relaxed and held her hand out to help him up. Adam could faintly hear him say, "That was really good Annalise, come on!" Alex was still holding her hand as the two scurried off.  
  
Adam grinned. "More and more like her mother every day..." he said to himself then moved off in search of his wife. He finally found her some time later in a corner with her arms around Ben. She was leaning into him with the side of her head resting against his chest.  
  
"Excuse me sir," Adam said when he reached them, "but is this woman bothering you?"  
  
Ben grinned at his son as he continued to lightly rub her back, then laughed when Thea tightened her arms around him and said, "Go away, I'm busy," to her husband.  
  
Adam couldn't help but smile as he asked, "She grabbed you as soon as she saw you, didn't she?" His father nodded.  
  
"Of course I did," Thea said in a reasonable tone. "Pa's the best hugger in town."  
  
"I see. So are you saying you have the extensive experience necessary to make that judgment?"  
  
She smiled with her eyes closed. "I'll never tell."  
  
The two men exchanged amused looks as Adam managed to pry his wife off his father. She immediately latched onto him and sighed when he absently began to move both hands up and down her back, but pulled back a moment later.  
  
"What time is it?" she asked.  
  
Ben pulled out his pocket watch. "Almost three o'clock."  
  
"Damn, I have to go help set up for Dora and Hoss to cut the cake," she sighed again, gave her husband a tight squeeze then took off. Both men were smiling as they watched her go.  
  
"I don't know about you," Ben said, "but I am so glad Hoss and Dora are finally married."  
  
His eldest son laughed. "I'll say! I was getting sick and tired of being Hoss's bodyguard. Can you believe she was actually in his room again last night?"  
  
"No...she was?" the older man was laughing now.  
  
"Yes, I saw Hoss taking her back to her room."  
  
His father just continued to laugh as Adam smiled and shook his head.  
  
When he could speak again Ben changed the subject. "How long had you two been planning to renew your vows?"  
  
Adam moved closer to his father. "Not for long. John and I have been doing some research on the legal points of marriage since we were originally married under the last name of Eden. So I wrote to a few friends and they all said it couldn't hurt to be married again under the right name."  
  
"That makes sense. What about your marriage license?"  
  
"I petitioned to have that changed the day after Joe found me." He paused to look around to see if anyone was listening. "I have to be very careful about the legality of our marriage because I'm really not Thea's first husband."  
  
"What!" Ben burst out loudly and Adam laughed. "Shhhhh!"  
  
He gave his son an apologetic look and lowered his voice. "Thea was married before?"  
  
Adam nodded as he frowned, "It's a long, sordid story, but suffice it to say her father signed her over to an older man when she was seventeen. She was given no say in the matter."  
  
Ben shook his head, "Is there no end to the coldness of that man's heart? What happened?"  
  
"The 'wedding' was in Westwood Hall and right after the ceremony he dragged her upstairs." He paused to glance over his shoulder at the open space. Dora was dancing with Alex in her arms while Hoss was doing the same with Annalise. Then he grinned when he saw Mike come to the dance floor with Marie. He picked her up and began to swing her around, dancing without her feet touching the floor. Her sweet laughter could be heard all over the room.  
  
When he turned back he could see his father was impatiently waiting for him to continue. "She knocked him out cold and ran away."  
  
"Good for her!"  
  
Adam chuckled. "She ran to a good friend of hers, Lady Millicent Danville. She was the woman that sponsored Thea in London society when she 'came out' as they call it. The two of them were very close, and they came to the conclusion that the only thing to do was to leave the country. So they did. They went to New York City and Thea didn't see her father for four years."  
  
Ben sighed, his expression concerned, "Were they divorced then?"  
  
"No, when her father finally found her he said the man had died in battle overseas."  
  
"So she was free to marry you. Good."  
  
"Yes, but I decided to go a step further and had the marriage annulled, both here and in England."  
  
His father gave him a shrewd look, knowing there had to be a good reason for his son's actions. "I take it then that you don't believe the man was dead."  
  
"No," Adam answered with a smile, pleased at how quickly his father had followed his reasoning. "No one ever saw a body and from what Thea told me about him I just couldn't believe he had died in battle. Maybe as he was running away, but definitely not in the thick of things."  
  
"Sounds like you covered every angle."  
  
"Of course, but you mark my words. That man will show up again some day. I'm certain of it."  
  
"Why?" his father responded. "Don't get me wrong, Thea is a beautiful woman, but why would he after all these years?"  
  
"Money," Adam simply said and Ben's expression said he didn't understand. "Pa," he continued, "as far as money goes I am very well off. Thea, however, is rolling in it!"  
  
"Ah, I see. Her inheritance."  
  
"Correct. From her grandmother as well as her father."  
  
"Well," the older man said with a smile, "if he does show up he has a very big surprise in store for him."  
  
"Yes, a very unpleasant surprise," Adam agreed with a sharp smile and the two men laughed.  
  
Ben looked across the room over his son's shoulder. "Looks like they're getting ready to cut the cake."  
  
Adam turned around. "Speaking of surprises, you don't want to miss this," he said to his father and the two men began to work their way through the crowd.  
  
A small square table held the five-tier wedding cake. Hoss and Dora were standing in front of it with the four deputies lined up, two on either side. They had been told earlier that they had to be present as members of the wedding party.  
  
Hoss and Dora carefully cut the first piece, and instead of stopping, went on to cut three more. Everyone in the room was watching as they each picked up a piece - expecting them to feed the cake to each other, as was the custom. The couple's eyes met and Hoss gave Dora a faint nod. Then they each quickly picked up another piece, turned around, and smashed the cake into the deputies' faces.  
  
Everyone in the room was howling with laughter as Nate and John tried to get back on their feet - Hoss had knocked them down. Mike was sputtering and bent over with mirth while Dylan just calmly began to scrape the cake off with a finger and eat it saying, "Not bad."  
  
The newly married couple had their arms around each other, weak with laughter, but being careful not to get cake on each other. Thea was practically stumbling, she was laughing so hard when she came to hand out towels. Hoss and Dora stepped back to wipe their hands off and grinned at each other.  
  
"Whose idea was this?" Ben asked.  
  
"Mine," Hoss said as he smiled at his father, "but Adam helped to set it up." Then he turned to the four deputies who were still wiping their faces. "I ain't always as dumb as I look," he said. That set everyone off again.  
  
John had made it to his feet, but was having a hard time seeing - he had icing in his eye. Thea came to take him by the hand and lead him toward the kitchen saying, "Come on, we'll need to wash that out."  
  
"Sorry John," Hoss called after him.  
  
"That's OK Hoss," the smaller man called back. "You got us good!"  
  
"Yeah, you did!" Nate said with admiration and held his right hand out to the big man. Hoss cautiously took his hand and then smiled as they shook. Mike and Dylan came to shake his hand too, and Dylan clapped him on the back saying, "I never suspected a thing and that's hard to do!"  
  
The three deputies moved away then, still breaking out into short bursts of laughter, as Adam came to whisper something to Hoss who nodded. The couple went into the kitchen while Dulcy came to finish cutting the cake. Her staff then rushed around delivering the pieces to the guests. No one had noticed yet that the newlyweds and their immediate family had disappeared. John was the first to realize this some time later.  
  
He came up behind Nate who was standing at the edge of the dance floor talking to the petite redhead who had snatched the bride's bouquet out of Joe's hands. He poked the taller man in the back.  
  
Nate looked at him with an impatient frown. John took him by the arm and pulled him a few paces away.  
  
"Have you noticed that a few key people are missing here?"  
  
The tall man's head came up and he quickly surveyed the room. "Yeah, there are."  
  
"And what do you think THAT means?"  
  
Nate looked down into John's face. "They're making a run for it, aren't they?" The shorter man nodded saying, "I thought it was strange when Joe told us Hoss and Dora were spending the night here then catching the train in the morning."  
  
"You get Dylan, I'll get Mike. Damn, we're not going to have time to do ANYTHING we had planned. But at least we can see them off," Nate said and the two men hurried off.  
  
When the four of them ran outside they decided to "borrow" the wagon the hotel staff had used to transport everything. They all piled in, Dylan backed it up, and they took off as people began to spill out the hall door. The news had gotten around.  
  
They made it to the train station just as Dora and Hoss were climbing the steps to the private car. Hoss laughed and gave them a mocking wave as Dylan brought the horses up so sharply they almost sat down. The four men jumped down and hurried over to join the family.  
  
Adam was laughing when Nate came to stand beside him. "This was your idea, wasn't it?" he asked his boss, who shook his head. "No, this was all the best man's doing." The four deputies turned to Joe who grinned at them. "Now WHO can't keep a secret?" he said and cracked up at their expressions.  
  
The window in the back of the private car opened and Dora leaned out to wave. Everyone was waving goodbye when the train whistle blew a startling blast and she jumped, whacking her head on the bottom of the window. "Ow!" she said laughingly and drew back.  
  
A moment later they all heard her shriek while Hoss yelled something. They gave each other puzzled looks then mouths fell open with surprise when frogs began flying out the window. Some jumped out themselves while others were being thrown out. Hoss appeared in the window with an armful just as the train started to move. He tossed them out and pointed at the four deputies who were practically howling along with everyone else.  
  
"I'm gonna get you for that!" he yelled and the four men began to shake their heads, but couldn't find the breath to tell him they hadn't done it. The train picked up the pace and the last thing they saw of the young couple was Dora appearing in the window to toss one last frog out then turning to kiss her new husband.  
  
Adam was giving his deputies a narrow-eyed look when Nate finally managed to speak. "I swear boss, that one we didn't do!" The others nodded vigorously even as John fell down, collapsing with laughter, and began to roll around.  
  
"Then who did?" Thea asked as she wiped away tears of mirth.  
  
Nate just shook his head as he staggered over to help John up.  
  
"Well, let's see," Adam said. "Whoever did this had to have prior knowledge that Hoss and Dora were leaving early. Only the immediate family was in on it. So who do YOU think did it?" Everyone turned to look at Joe who stopped grinning and shook his head. "It wasn't me!" he said desperately as he began to back away when the deputies gave him hostile looks.  
  
"Run Joe!" Adam yelled and the young man took off with the four deputies in hot pursuit. Unfortunately for him, Nate had a much longer stride so he caught up to him halfway down the next block. They picked him up by the arms and legs, carried him over to the nearest watering trough, and dumped him in.  
  
Joe was flailing around in the cold water, coughing and sputtering as he tried to get out when Alexander sidled up to his father. He took Adam's hand and tugged on it until he crouched down so the boy could whisper in his ear. "Is that what we caught all those frogs for, Pa?"  
  
"Yes it is, Alexander, and yes it is still a secret," he whispered back and picked the boy up as he stood. Then he looked down to meet Thea's suddenly sharp gaze.  
  
"I guess we better get back to the party now," he said, chuckled at her suspicious expression, and began to herd the rest of the family toward the buggy, leaving Joe to the tender mercy of his four deputies.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
HOMECOMING  
  
Chapter 51  
  
The usual group of Cartwrights and their friends were impatiently waiting at the train station for Hoss and Dora. The newlyweds had been gone for two weeks, staying at the Eden House Hotel in San Francisco for their honeymoon. Thea had arranged a get together at the cream-colored house so the couple would have a little time to rest before making the long ride to the ranch after spending hours on the train.  
  
Adam was pacing back and forth in front of the group, but stopped abruptly when they all heard the train whistle. Then Thea pushed her way through the crowd to take his arm, wondering why he was so impatient. Maybe he had missed Hoss and Dora more than she had thought.  
  
The train came rushing by then and they all began to move down to the end where the private car was. The door opened and Dora came out first, closely followed by Hoss. Everyone pressed forward past Adam and Thea to greet the couple.  
  
Dora was smiling widely and laughed when Ben reached up to help her down. Hoss paused on the steps to watch as his wife was passed from person to person receiving hugs all around. He looked up and spotted Adam and Thea on the edge of the crowd and he smiled as he met Adam's gaze. Thea grinned when she felt the tension in her husband's muscles ease. Now she understood his previous impatience. Adam didn't like it when family members were beyond his reach, beyond his help and his protection. But his brother and sister-in-law were home now, so he could relax.  
  
Hoss came down the steps then to wrap his father in a bear hug then turned to do the same with Joe. Then he took Dora's arm and they began to make their way toward the other couple. Adam leaned down to whisper in Thea's ear.  
  
"Is it my imagination, or does Hoss look like he lost weight?" Thea bit her lip.  
  
"Looks tired too," he continued to speak low and she turned her head slightly to whisper back, "Stop that!" She felt rather than heard him chuckle.  
  
"I wonder how much sleep he got, I imagine Dora kept him hopping."  
  
"Oh God," Thea choked out as she desperately tried to hang on to her composure. When he leaned back down to whisper again she poked him hard in the ribs with her elbow. He grunted in surprise then chuckled as a small snort of laughter escaped her.  
  
Hoss and Dora had just about made it through the crowd and in a moment were standing in front of them. Dora quickly threw her arms around Thea and the two women laughed and cried at the same time.  
  
Adam held out his right hand and when Hoss took it he pulled his brother into a hug. When they both stepped back Thea threw herself at Hoss and Dora moved around the two to stand in front of Adam, hesitating. He laughed at her sudden shyness, picked her up and swung her around as she squeaked in surprise.  
  
Hoss and Thea just smiled with their arms around each other when Adam set Dora down then astonished the young woman further by giving her a resounding smack on the lips.  
  
"Let's move this party to the house, people!" he said, noting that the deputies had gone into the car to get the newlywed's bags. He offered Dora his arm and she took it, her face still flushed a deep pink from his enthusiastic welcome.  
  
Thea took Hoss's arm and Marie took Ben's as the group began to move across and down the street to the house. The children had been left at home and the twins were no doubt bouncing around with impatience waiting for their Uncle Hoss and Aunt Dora to return.  
  
The group moved down the sidewalk quickly and many other pedestrians smiled and waved, some calling out their congratulations to the newlyweds. Happy chatter flew back and forth and they soon reached the house.  
  
The twins were waiting on the front porch and when they spotted Hoss they rushed down the steps and through the crowd to latch onto his legs. Thea let go of his arm and he laughed as he bent down to pick them up. Annalise quickly kissed him on the cheek as Alex said, "We missed you!"  
  
The crowd moved into the house, and then into the sitting room where Hoss and Dora were the center of attention for quite a while, as everyone seemed to be talking at once. The couple managed to answer as many of the questions they were asked as they could, then Thea began to herd people toward the kitchen.  
  
Hoss spotted Adam in the hall talking to the twins so he stood and hurried over. The children scurried off toward the kitchen and when his brother straightened up, Hoss nodded toward the front door then led the way outside.  
  
The older man sat down on the swing and Hoss leaned back against the railing as he silently pinned his brother with a narrow-eyed stare. Adam waited for him to speak first.  
  
"Be gentle," Hoss said with a disgusted look. "That's all you could tell me...be gentle?" he continued as Adam started laughing.  
  
The big man leaned forward. "Adam that woman dang near tore my ears off. And don't try to tell me you didn't know that was gonna happen. Those two are too much alike."  
  
"God Hoss, I couldn't be sure," Adam managed to choke out.  
  
"You STILL shoulda said somethin'!" Hoss insisted.  
  
His older brother was rolling around on the swing, trying to muffle his laughter, but not succeeding very well.  
  
"I tell you, I took one step into that room and everythin' after that is a blur. I have no idea what happened."  
  
"Stop it, Hoss, you're killing me!" Adam gasped as the big man said, "What kind of a brother are you anyway?"  
  
"I'm sorry!" was all the other man could get out as he fell off the swing and lay there on his back practically howling with both hands over his mouth.  
  
Hoss continued to give him a disgruntled look until Adam finally managed to settle down. Then a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he reached down with one hand to help him up. "I take it then that you had a good time," Adam said as he collapsed onto the swing with a hand on his aching stomach.  
  
Rolling his eyes as he folded his arms Hoss said, "Yeah, but that's not the point. You still shoulda warned me!"  
  
"I really am sorry, I guess I should have." Adam was still chuckling a little as he asked, "Did you ever even get out of the room?"  
  
The big man gave an exasperated sigh as he raised his eyes heavenward. "Not much," he finally answered and reluctantly began to laugh himself. "I only have one question for you and this time you better give me a straight answer. Do they ever slow down any?"  
  
Adam desperately tried to be serious, but a small snort of laughter still escaped when he said, "Yes."  
  
"Good," Hoss said and when his older brother looked up and saw his relieved expression he started laughing helplessly again. This time Hoss joined him.  
  
"I swear I've never been more tired before in my life."  
  
"Come on Hoss, cut it out. I don't think I can stand any more."  
  
"Well it's the truth!"  
  
"I'm sure it is," Adam answered when Dora came out onto the porch. He glanced at her then quickly looked away while biting his lip, hard.  
  
"Thea sent me out here to get you two," she said as she gave Adam an odd look. His shoulders were shaking.  
  
"Be right in," Hoss told her and quickly kicked his older brother in the shin when she turned away.  
  
"Stop that!" she heard her husband hiss and Adam saying "Ow!" in a choked voice. She smiled a knowing smile as she hurried off to report in to Thea - she found her cousin and now sister-in-law upstairs in the nursery.  
  
"What was going on out there?" Thea asked as she quickly finished changing Matthew and handed him to Dora.  
  
"Exactly what we thought. Hoss must have told him everything, Adam couldn't even look at me."  
  
Thea chuckled. "You ARE going to let that poor man get some sleep tonight, aren't you?"  
  
Dora giggled and the baby in her arms laughed with her. "Of course. I could use some sleep myself."  
  
"You should. I told you to do that on your honeymoon so you would have the upper hand in the bedroom from the beginning," the older woman said. "It always works."  
  
The two women laughed together as Thea finished changing Thomas and picked up Benjamin, preparing to take the babies downstairs. The two women moved through the door then stepped out into the hall when Dora stopped Thea with a hand on her shoulder. The taller woman leaned down to whisper in her ear.  
  
"I know it's too soon to tell, but I'm already late."  
  
Thea's head whipped around so quickly she just barely missed banging heads with Dora. The taller woman laughed as she quickly stepped back out of reach and out of danger.  
  
"Really? How late?"  
  
"A week."  
  
"Hmmm...when you're a month late you come and see me. We'll need to talk," Thea said seriously, then smiled her widest smile.  
  
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy," she chortled, imitating Joe and bouncing the babies in her arms as she practically danced around her cousin.  
  
Dora laughed again as she turned to keep her eyes on Thea. "I figured we better get started as soon as possible. We have a long way to go to catch up with you two!"  
  
Thea stopped and continued to chortle as she shook her head. "Don't say anything to Hoss until we're sure. In fact, I wouldn't say anything to him at all until you have to."  
  
Her cousin leaned her head the side and gave Thea a mystified look.  
  
"Believe me. Adam was bad enough, hovering and fussing over me. Can you imagine what Hoss will be like?"  
  
"Oh, I never thought of that."  
  
"Well, think about it. Not to mention Pa, Joe, and Hop Sing." Thea shook her head, "When I was carrying the triplets and we were living at the ranch I almost went out of my mind. The five of them wouldn't leave me alone for a minute."  
  
Dora couldn't help but laugh at that mental picture then smiled apologetically at her cousin. "I won't say anything."  
  
"Good. Believe me, you will be glad you didn't. Just be careful and if Hoss starts acting suspicious, tell him right away."  
  
Dora nodded and the two started down the hallway. Then she couldn't help but laugh again as her cousin began to chortle to herself once more as she bounced down the stairs. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy..."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The party was over and everyone had headed for home hours before. Adam and Thea had gone to bed early for a change and Thea was snuggled up against her husband with her head on his chest and his arm around her shoulders. She yawned and her eyes were just about to flutter shut when he spoke.  
  
"So, did your pupil follow your instructions to the letter? I'm assuming she did after what Hoss told me." He chuckled at her gasp of outrage.  
  
"You didn't tell him, did you?"  
  
"Of course not. He never would have believed it anyway. Remember, Hoss thinks you're perfect, the poor deluded man."  
  
Thea giggled at that. "I think he's sweet."  
  
"It's no wonder you think he's sweet, he practically worships you."  
  
She giggled again. "So, when did you figure it out?"  
  
"The second day of our honeymoon."  
  
"And you let me go on, even though you knew?"  
  
"You bet I did, I'm not stupid - and I also found it to be highly entertaining."  
  
"You rat!"  
  
Adam just laughed in response to her irritation and she rolled away from him to the far edge of the bed.  
  
"Oh no, you don't," he growled and reached out to drag her to the center then rolled on top of her.  
  
"Adam, I'm mad at you."  
  
"I know," he said and smoothed her hair back from her forehead with both hands, then cupped her face.  
  
"I mean it."  
  
"Of course you do," he lightly brushed his thumbs across her lips.  
  
"Don't think you can sweet talk me into forgiving you," she warned.  
  
"Never. Wouldn't think of it," he kissed her on both cheeks as he slid his hands behind her head.  
  
"You should be ashamed of yourself," she ground out as she clenched her teeth.  
  
"Yes, terribly ashamed," he breathed in her ear and she shivered.  
  
"Now stop that!" she ordered.  
  
"Yes ma'am," he said low as his lips brushed against hers and she reached up with both hands to hold his head still.  
  
"Adam?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You talk too much..."  
  
Their voices, mingled in laughter, floated out into the hall then seemed to sink into the very walls, touching each dreamer with a smile as they lay sleeping in the shelter of the cream-colored house.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
LILLY'S SON  
  
Chapter 52  
  
Thea and Marie were in Adam's tower office one sunny afternoon in June, talking quietly as they discussed what needed to be done to give the entire tower a complete cleaning. Adam was in the sitting room next door teaching Annalise a new song on the piano while Ben, Joe, and Alexander were keeping the babies occupied. Hoss and Dora, the newlyweds, had chosen to stay at the ranch to no doubt take advantage of the opportunity to have some time alone.  
  
Everyone paused in what they were doing when a firm knock sounded on the front door. Thea called, "I'll get it," and her husband turned back to his daughter, but still listened with one ear to his wife's quick footsteps coming down the iron spiral staircase. He heard her move through his office, then the hallway to the front door. Pulling it open she spoke to someone and a smooth, pleasant male voice answered her. She must have invited him in because the screen door opened with a faint squeak of the hinges. He had just made a mental note to himself to oil them when he heard his wife scream.  
  
Almost before he was even aware of it, he was over the gate in the sitting room doorway with Minnie right beside him. He skidded to a halt in front of his wife while the dog forced a tall man with curly blond hair up against the front wall with her growling and snapping.  
  
The man looked down at the dog who was still fiercely growling, at Adam who was eyeing him furiously, and then at Ben and Joe who had come running to stand next to Thea on either side. Incredibly, he smiled a wide, pleased smile. Adam blinked at that then narrowed his eyes as he stared at the man's face intently - something about it seemed vaguely familiar.  
  
"Minnie down," he said and the dog instantly lay down, but continued to watch the stranger suspiciously. He tried to take a step forward, but something was holding him back - Thea was hanging onto the back of his shirt with both hands as she trembled up against him.  
  
"Thea, let go" he ordered as he tried to move forward again, but she seemed unable to loosen her grip. He glanced over his shoulder at his father, "Pa?"  
  
Ben had to gently pry her fingers open and when he had, she turned to clutch at the front of HIS shirt as she huddled in his arms, still shaking.  
  
Adam went to stand right behind Minnie, his eyes never leaving the man's face. "What the hell did you do?" he said to the stranger, his expression becoming more angry with each passing second that his wife continued to shake with what looked like terror.  
  
The man's leaf-green eyes met his stare calmly. "I swear to you sir, I did nothin'. But since I assume that she is Theadora I believe it is my face that frightened her so badly."  
  
Taking a step closer, Adam's gaze sharpened and suddenly the connection to a memory in the back of his mind snapped together. "Dear God, you're her father come back in the flesh," he said deeply annoyed.  
  
The stranger rolled his eyes and nodded. "Unfortunately sir, that happens to be almost true. I have cursed the fates every day of my life for bein' sentenced to wear HIS face."  
  
"Who ARE you?" Adam demanded.  
  
"My name is Allain Theadore Champlain Westwood. Sir Richard Westwood was also MY father," the stranger said quietly with the faint echo of some sort of accent coloring his voice. "Although I use the term 'father' as a biological term only."  
  
"So you claim to be Thea's half-brother. What proof do you have?"  
  
The man reached into an inside pocket of his suit coat and pulled out a sealed envelope. He held it out to Adam who took it and quickly tore it open. Adam's eyes quickly scanned down the page, and he started to smile. When he reached the end he laughed then said, "Pinkerton actually made you wait a month to tell you where Thea was while he investigated you?"  
  
The stranger smiled a charming smile, "Yes sir, but somehow payin' to have MYSELF investigated just didn't seem quite right."  
  
Adam laughed again and held out his right hand, "If Pinkerton says you're telling the truth, then you must be." The two men shook hands. "So what name do you go by?" he asked the younger man who was smiling in relief.  
  
"Ted," he said simply and finally allowed himself to glance at Thea who had stopped shaking and was now facing them, still standing in Ben's arms.  
  
Looking down at the dog who had never stopped eyeing the man suspiciously, Adam said, "Minnie, at ease." She immediately stood, trotted over to Thea and nudged the woman's leg with her nose. When she looked down into the dog's worried face she smiled then crouched down to give Minnie a tight hug.  
  
"Why don't we go into my office and you can tell us about yourself," Adam said as he walked over to Thea and held out his hand to help her up. When she stood he slipped an arm around her shoulders and started guiding her toward his office door.  
  
"This way," he said and the man followed, never taking his eyes off Thea.  
  
Adam opened the office door and motioned for Ted to enter first. Ben and Joe had stayed back to give them some privacy, but Thea turned back at the door to look at them questioningly and motioned for them to follow.  
  
Their new family member chose to sit in the wingback chair that faced the sofa where Thea was now sitting in between her husband and father-in-law. Joe stood directly behind her and was leaning on the back. Ted found himself smiling at this display of protective support from the men in his half-sister's life. He couldn't have been more pleased.  
  
"Go ahead," Adam said quietly. Ted took a deep breath, looked directly at Thea, and began to tell her his story.  
  
"Richard Westwood came to New Orleans and met my mother when you were three years old, Theadora. They were married only a few months later." His eyes narrowed and his lips tightened as he continued. "You were four years old, soon to be five, when he left."  
  
"He just...left?" Thea echoed softly and her brow furrowed when Ted nodded. Her own lips tightened. "That sounds like him."  
  
"Yes, that cold-hearted bastard just walked out on her. No explanations, no reason given, just one day told her he was leavin' and was gone before sundown. He broke her heart and nearly destroyed her."  
  
"She loved him that much?" Thea asked dubiously.  
  
"On no, she loved YOU that much," he closed his eyes for a second and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "My mother, the Queen of New Orleans society, the bluest of the blue bloods, got down on her knees and begged that man to leave you with her. He laughed, picked up your rag doll, threw it in her face and said, 'This should be just as good.'"  
  
He closed his eyes again and the muscles in his jaw shook, he was clenching his teeth so hard. When he looked at her again his eyes were blazing with green fire. He leaned forward, "I don't know how you feel about him, but I hate that man with every fiber of my bein'. And if he wasn't already dead he would be receivin' an extremely painful visit from me."  
  
Thea had let go of the hands she had been clutching and was perched on the very edge of the seat, leaning toward Ted. Now she stood and moved to sit on his side of the low table in between the sofa and his chair. She reached out and took his hands in hers. "I understand how you feel," she said softly.  
  
Ted looked away from her for a moment and when he turned back she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. He quickly blinked them away. "Thea, I did not even know you existed until I was twenty-one. I came home from college unexpectedly one day and found my mother curled up on her bed and cryin' her heart out over that rag doll. I've been lookin' for you ever since," his voice broke on the last word and he cleared his throat.  
  
"I didn't mean to frighten you and please try to understand why I'm here. I am not tryin' to push myself into your life. But you ARE my sister and I had to know what that monster had done with you." He put his head down. "I had to know, Theadora," he finished softly. "I just had to know, and you'll forgive me I hope for thinkin' the worst."  
  
She leaned forward and put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. He put a hand over his eyes saying, "God Thea, you even wear the same perfume Momma did."  
  
"Lilly of the Valley?" she said in surprise then leaned back to look him in the eye. "Lilly!" He nodded.  
  
"That's right, Lilly was her name. Lillian De Marigny Champlain," he said as she let go of him and leaned back.  
  
"Dear Lord, I remember her. She was very tall wasn't she? And had the most beautiful, deep red hair." He nodded again. "I remembered her, but didn't know who she was. Does that make any sense?"  
  
"Yes, it does. You weren't quite five when he took you away so that's understandable. I would also think at some point you started to wonder if maybe she was your mother."  
  
That startled her and she looked at him wide-eyed. "How did you know that?"  
  
"Sorry, practicin' my profession again. Anythin' to do with the mind and the brain is my area of interest."  
  
She stared at him intently then she smiled. "I can't believe this, you're A.T. Westwood."  
  
He shook his head and smiled back at her, "You've actually read my articles?" At her nod, he started to laugh. "Well, at least that means three people have - you, me, and my editor."  
  
Adam broke in, "What articles?"  
  
Thea stood and moved to perch on the arm of Ted's chair as he answered her husband. "The articles I've written for the medical journals."  
  
"So you're a physician too."  
  
Ted nodded, "I have to say the only good thing Thea and I ever got from that monster was the call to heal." He glanced up at Joe for a second and his eyes narrowed and he looked puzzled. Then he lowered his gaze back to Adam.  
  
"Were you born in New Orleans, then?"  
  
"Yes sir, I was. But when I was thirteen my mother had had enough of being shunned by New Orleans society and we moved." He shook his head and laughed ruefully, "But why she chose to move to Pennsylvania, I'll never understand."  
  
Adam looked at him puzzled for a second, then his expression cleared as he understood. "Had a little trouble, did you?"  
  
Ted laughed again, "Oh yes. All the local boys had to hear was that New Orleans patois and I might as well have slapped them in the face and said, 'Please beat the stuffin' out of me.'"  
  
All four men laughed, but Thea was appalled. "That's terrible!"  
  
"No, that's just the way boys are." Ted looked at her over his shoulder, giving her a quirky grin. "And that's not the worst of it, when I'd get home Momma would cane me for fightin'!"  
  
The men all laughed harder, but Thea just shook her head. "I swear, if I live to be a hundred years old, I will never understand you men." Her half- brother gave her an incredulous stare.  
  
"Well now, Momma told me a story about a certain little girl who knocked Willy Thornton into the creek then sat on him until he almost drowned."  
  
"I didn't!"  
  
"You did."  
  
"Dear Lord, why?"  
  
"He was tryin' to do the same thing to a bag of kittens and that just did not sit well with you, no pun intended. It's a good thing Momma came lookin' for you. You were sittin' on his back with your arms folded and yellin' 'Let's see how YOU like it!'"  
  
Thea turned bright red.  
  
"Oh, and he still remembers you too. I ran into him when I stopped in New Orleans on my way here. He seemed to be unduly concerned that you might be movin' back to town."  
  
He smiled at her obvious embarrassment and glanced at Joe again. "Now, why do you look so familiar?"  
  
Ben answered him, "Did I hear you say Lillian De Marigny Champlain?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Marie De Marigny was my third wife and Joseph's mother."  
  
"Ah! Now I remember. My mother's mother had a portrait hangin' in her house of a De Marigny ancestor and he had almost the exact same face as you, Joe." He chuckled, "I guess that also means I'm your cousin. Distantly, but still your cousin." He winked at Joe and gave him that one- sided quirky grin before turning his head to look at Thea again. "If you don't mind, Thea, I'd like to go get the bag I left on your front porch. I have somethin' for you."  
  
Thea nodded so he stood and quickly left the room. He was back in less than a minute.  
  
Ted carefully set the open bag down on the low table, reached in, and pulled what at first looked like a bundle of cloth out. When he held it out to her Thea's eyes opened wide, "Susan! Her name is Susan," she said as she took the old rag doll from him. He smiled as he watched her smoothing down the dolls curly yarn hair. "I can't believe you kept this."  
  
"My mother's last thoughts were of you Thea. I promised her I would find you, put that doll in your hands, and make sure that you were all right. I've kept my promise and now I know she's restin' easy, because you could not possibly be any more 'all right.'" He turned his head to look at Adam, Ben, and Joe in turn then sighed as he turned back to his sister.  
  
Thea was still looking down at the old doll and when she raised her eyes to Ted's he could see they had darkened. "He did that on purpose, didn't he? He left the only thing that mattered to me behind on purpose." He nodded reluctantly.  
  
"He had to punish you, punish you both because you two had the nerve to love each other and not him. That's the reason why he left and took you away. He was a sick man, Thea. Somethin' was deeply, and terribly wrong with him. In my profession we would call someone like that 'atavistic,' a person without a conscience. Nothing and no one mattered to that man but himself. Everythin' he ever did that someone would see as either kind or noble was just for show. His protective coloration so no one would know that he wasn't normal." He paused and narrowed his eyes as he stared intently at her bowed head.  
  
"Theadora, look at me," he continued. She raised her head to meet his eyes with her own. "I know you have carried a deep, dark secret of guilt all your life, believin' that somehow you were responsible for the way he treated you. You thought you had failed to measure up, to be worthy of him. But that's not true. Think about it, did my mother deserve what he did to her? No. And I can't include myself because that man never even knew I existed. But if he had I have no doubt whatsoever that I would have received the exact same lack of feelin' from him. Theadora, you weren't unworthy of him...he was unworthy of you."  
  
She was staring at him and he could almost see her taking in his words and examining them, looking for false logic. But she could find none.  
  
"Now, since you have read all of my writin' on the human brain and are no doubt aware of how brilliant I am, I expect you to bow to my superior knowledge and accept my diagnosis." He held his breath, waiting for her reaction.  
  
Thea was still staring at him almost blankly, but when he raised his eyebrows and gave her his quirky grin, her lips started to twitch and then she chuckled. Pleased, he laughed saying, "Thata girl!" and then staggered back when she stood to throw her arms around him. She seemed to be laughing and crying at the same time as he hugged her tightly.  
  
"I am so sorry for what he did to you darlin', and I wish I had been there to protect you."  
  
Adam stood and motioned for Ben and Joe to follow him from the room. The last thing they heard before leaving the brother and sister alone was Ted's pleasant laugh as he said, "Dear Lord woman was your mother a midget? You are SO short!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
ANOTHER SON  
  
Chapter 53  
  
Ben, Joe, and Adam left the office quietly, leaving by the door that led to the sitting room and when they entered Marie looked up expectantly. She had quietly slipped into the room from the tower office when the ruckus had started to take charge of the children. Adam knew this and smiled at her gratefully as he sat down in his usual chair. Annalise was there in seconds and hopped up into his lap. Alex was lying on the floor, buried under his three younger brothers who had nodded off, not in the least bit concerned about the noise. The babies were used to it.  
  
"Who is that man, Pa?" Annalise asked, having caught a glimpse of him through the door when the three men had come in. She had noticed he had his arms around her mother and that bothered her.  
  
"Well, it seems he's your mother's brother."  
  
The little girl's brow furrowed. "But how can he be Ma's brother when she didn't even know him?"  
  
"He had a different mother."  
  
"Oh...just like you and Uncle Hoss, and Uncle Joe."  
  
"Right."  
  
Having had her curiosity satisfied, the little girl just snuggled up against her father and relaxed, prepared to listen to the adult's conversation. She knew her father didn't like it when they interrupted too much.  
  
"And not only that," Joe said with a laugh, "it turns out he's my cousin too."  
  
"An unexpected and strange turn of events," Adam said then leaned down to explain Joe's comment to his daughter before she started asking questions again. Then when they heard Thea's joyful laugh coming from the other room they all smiled, especially Ben who seemed extremely pleased for his daughter-in-law.  
  
"What do you think, Pa?" Adam asked his father.  
  
"By all appearances, I think Ted is going to be an extremely interesting addition to this family," Ben laughed. "And I have to add that there never seems to be a lack of entertainment in this house."  
  
Adam shook his head, "I believe I once told Dylan my house has been in a state of barely controlled insanity ever since we moved here and I can't exactly explain why."  
  
"People," his father answered.  
  
"People?"  
  
Ben shook his head, "You can't have a house this full of people and not have mayhem break out occasionally."  
  
"I have to agree with your father's hypothesis Adam," Ted said. No one had heard the door open or noticed Ted and Thea coming in. "Especially considerin' the caliber of people you have gathered around you. Remember, it's a fine line between brilliance and insanity."  
  
Thea laughed at her brother's joking and moved forward to pick up Thomas then placed him in Joe's arms. Benjamin was given to his grandfather and both babies continued to sleep. Matthew, however, woke up as soon as she touched him, and he was not in a good mood. When he heard Matthew's fitful cry Ted came to put a hand on the baby's back.  
  
"May I?" he said and Thea gladly handed the child over. Ted looked down into Matthew's face and the boy stared back with angry eyes at this stranger then scrunched his face up, ready to start screaming. But Ted merely raised the baby to his shoulder and began to hum in his ear. Everyone else watched closely to see what would happen.  
  
Matthew let loose one short, half-hearted cry of ill temper, and then tiredly laid his head down on Ted's shoulder. The man just continued to hum and rubbed the baby's back. In a few minutes Matthew was asleep again. He smiled quietly saying, "I've worked a lot of children's wards in hospitals. That usually works for me for some reason."  
  
Alexander had gotten to his feet and looked up at the tall man with wide eyes. "Wow," was all the boy could manage to say. Adam laughed.  
  
"Not only have you done the impossible by getting Matthew to settle down, you've also rendered Alexander almost speechless!"  
  
Everyone laughed again except Ted; he was still humming softly into Matthew's ear.  
  
Thea motioned for her brother to take a seat on the sofa next to Joe then seated herself on his other side. She beckoned Alexander to come to her and the child hurried over, still staring at Ted as she lifted him into her lap.  
  
"Are you my uncle?" Alex asked as his mother smoothed his unruly hair back from his forehead. Ted turned his head to look at Thea.  
  
"I don't know, am I? Pinkerton never said a word about you and Adam havin' children."  
  
Thea smiled and hugged her son tighter, making him giggle as Adam answered the question.  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
"All five are yours?" Ted asked giving him an incredulous stare.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"A set of twins and a set of triplets?"  
  
Adam was chuckling now. "Obviously."  
  
"Do you have any idea what the odds are against that?" Ted was trying to keep his voice low so he wouldn't disturb Matthew.  
  
"Yes, I do," Adam was openly laughing at his new brother-in-law now. "You are holding Matthew, Thea has Alexander, my father has Benjamin, Joe has Thomas, and this beautiful child in MY lap is Annalise."  
  
"Pa!" Annalise protested then ducked her head in embarrassment as her face turned bright red. Her father just shook his head at her shyness and gave her a quick squeeze.  
  
Ted was grinning hugely as he looked from child to child and when he turned his head to look at Alexander he opened his mouth, but then seemed to change his mind because he didn't speak.  
  
"What is it Ted? You're a member of this family so you can say whatever you want. Everybody else certainly does."  
  
The man's expression turned serious. "Well, I was just thinkin' that this mornin' I had no family whatsoever, and now..."  
  
Adam was nodding. "I think I felt something similar when Joe found me in San Francisco and I recovered my memories."  
  
Ted started to nod too, in agreement when Annalise spoke up. "Uncle Ted? There's something moving in there," she pointed toward the bag he had carried in from the tower office.  
  
"Uh oh, I guess that means Fred finally woke up," Ted answered her then looked at Matthew, not sure of what to do with him.  
  
"I'll take him," Marie said quietly from her chair in the far corner. The young man looked startled for a moment - he had forgotten she was there. But he stood and quickly walked over to her before she had a chance to stand herself. He carefully handed the baby over and gave her a grateful smile saying, "Thank you very much, ma'am," then turned to walk quickly back. He went down on one knee next to the bag and rested his right hand on the edge of the opening.  
  
"Come on out Fred. No one's goin' to hurt you."  
  
They all heard a faint rustling sound coming from the bag and a small, triangular black head popped up over the edge then disappeared again when a giggle escaped Annalise. She clapped a hand over her mouth when Ted turned his head to smile at her then put a finger to his lips. "Shhhh, Fred is very, very shy at first."  
  
"Come on boy, come on out," he said and the head slowly reappeared. The tiny dog looked around cautiously then his mouth opened and long pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as he slowly placed two white front paws on Ted's hand and grinned up at the man. Ted patted his shoulder and Fred quickly hopped out of the bag and streaked up the man's arm to settle himself there.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Adam said trying to hold his laughter back.  
  
"Fred is a dog."  
  
"Are you sure? Are you sure he isn't really just a big rat that thinks he's a dog?"  
  
Ted started laughing himself as he nodded. "Fred, they don't believe you're a dog, so work with me boy - at least bark." He snapped his fingers saying, "Speak Fred. Come on, speak." Fred let out a sharp little yap that startled Balor and Minnie. Both of the huge dogs stood and came over.  
  
"Don't worry Ted, they won't hurt him," Adam was quick to assure his wife's brother. Balor gave the tiny creature a quick sniff then Minnie pushed forward to do the same. The two dogs looked at each other and seemed to be exchanging amused glances until their master spoke, "Minnie, Balor, go lay down," he instructed them and they both moved away. But they chose to lie down next to each other while being sure to keep facing the man who was still kneeling on the floor.  
  
"I think he's cute!" Annalise said as she slid out of her father's lap and came over to get a closer look. "Pa, he's cross-eyed!" she said in disbelief then started to reach toward Fred, but then stopped. She had been taught by her father to never touch a dog she didn't know.  
  
"It's ok, he won't hurt you," Ted answered her questioning look and the little girl carefully reached out to scratch the little dog behind his triangular ears. Fred's eyes closed and he collapsed, draping himself over Ted's shoulder as he made little grunting noises and his long, thin tail whipped around. Annalise laughed as she continued to scratch. Then Alexander came to get a closer look too.  
  
He started to stroke the little dog's short, sleek black fur and both children were startled when the dog suddenly turned to drape himself over Ted's shoulder on his back. They both giggled and scratched Fred's bare pink belly as his tail continued to wildly wag. The dog grinned with half- closed eyes, let his tongue loll out of his mouth from the side, and waved his white paws around in ecstasy.  
  
The adults couldn't help but laugh at the little dog's antics and the children were delighted. Balor and Minnie were good dogs, but rarely had the chance to play - they were on duty most of the time.  
  
"Would you like to see Fred do a trick?" Ted asked the two children. They nodded vigorously. "Alright, step back then," he instructed them and the two quickly did so. He put his hand on the floor saying, "Down Fred," and the little dog quickly scampered down his arm then sat down facing his master.  
  
"Say 'hello' Fred." The little dog shifted his front feet and seemed to be trying, but couldn't quite get it out. "Come on, Fred, say 'hello' to these nice people."  
  
The dog shifted his feet again then pointed his sharp muzzle toward the ceiling as he howled, "Reh-roooh!" The adults were laughing helplessly at that point while the children applauded and the other two dogs stared.  
  
Ted snapped his fingers and the dog looked at him expectantly again. "Fred," he said then pointed at him with his index finger and the thumb up. "Put 'em up, buster," he continued and the little dog sat up and raised his front paws over his head as he stared intently back. "Bang!" Ted said and the dog threw himself onto his back with all four paws sticking up and his tongue lolling out on the floor. Everyone, even Ben, was howling at this point when Ted told Fred to take a bow.  
  
Fred stretched his front paws out and lowered his head while his rump stuck up in the air. His tail continued to wave back and forth as he grinned at their laughter. Then he startled everyone by suddenly turning around, streaking across the floor, and jumping into Adam's lap.  
  
Adam merely picked Fred up with one large hand and held him so they were nose to nose. "I am STILL not convinced you're really a dog," he said calmly then set him on his shoulder. Fred promptly curled up, gave a huge yawn, and then went to sleep.  
  
Thea was gasping for breath and couldn't help letting out one more laugh when she saw Ted's surprised expression. "Dogs love Adam," she said to her brother in explanation and stood to start gathering up children. Marie came to help and as the two women and the twins left to take the babies upstairs they were still breaking out in short bursts of mirth. Minnie and Balor followed them closely.  
  
Ted stayed where he was as he watched them go then he stood to take his seat next to Joe again. He stared at Fred sleeping on Adam's shoulder and shook his head.  
  
"Fred has never done that with anyone before."  
  
"Well, dogs are supposed to good judges of character," Ben offered.  
  
Joe nudged Ted with his elbow. "But there's always at least one exception to every rule," he said while grinning at his older brother. Adam grinned back.  
  
"Touché Joe. So you still remember that." Joe just continued to grin as his answer then they all turned to look at Ben when he started chuckling.  
  
"Adam," he said with a big smile, "have you realized yet that this lets Alexander off the hook?"  
  
"No I didn't, but I do now!" He gave what could only be described as an evil chuckle and said, "Welcome to the family Ted. We are doubly pleased to see you!"  
  
Joe glanced back and forth between his brother and father. "I don't get it."  
  
Adam was still chuckling. "Ted is Sir Richard's legitimate son which takes precedence over a grandson."  
  
"Oh..." Joe said as the light dawned and he bit his lip to keep from laughing at Ted's horrified expression.  
  
"Dear God no! I don't want anythin' from that man!"  
  
"Sorry Ted, but those are the laws of entailment. The estate is now yours to do what you will with - barring sale or destruction of course."  
  
"You mean I can't blow the place up, have the stones thrown into the sea, and sow the cursed place with salt?"  
  
"I believe that would come under the heading of 'destruction'," Adam joked, quite pleased that he wouldn't have to deal with the management of the estate anymore.  
  
"Damn," Ted said in a decidedly unhappy voice.  
  
"But you could do other things with it that would make that man spin in his grave," Joe said, amused by the possibilities.  
  
"Like what?" Ted looked at him hopefully.  
  
"How about a wax museum? I hear they're all the rage in Europe right now."  
  
Ted grinned while Adam raised his eyes to heaven and Ben shook his head.  
  
"Oh!" Joe continued, "you could offer the estate as winter quarters for a traveling circus!"  
  
Laughing, Ted nodded his head. "I like the way you think cousin."  
  
"Or you could let all the tenant farmers and their families live in the manor house."  
  
Adam joined in, "Now THAT would definitely annoy him."  
  
"But we want to do more than just annoy him." Joe said as he continued to think. Then he laughed announcing, "I've got it - the perfect thing. Open up a reformatory ladies of the evening!"  
  
Ted and Ben just stared at Joe incredulous for a few moments until Adam spoke.  
  
"Yeah," he said sarcastically, "and you could call it 'Bangtail House'."  
  
That broke the other three men up and they were still howling with laughter when Thea returned.  
  
"What's so funny?" she asked as she came into the room.  
  
"Nothing dear," Adam said in a choked voice as Ben, Joe, and Ted tried to contain themselves.  
  
"Hmmm..." she gave her husband a suspicious as he turned his head away and raised a hand to hide his smile. Thea must have decided the question was not worth pursuing because she turned to Ted and Joe then.  
  
"Joe, I want you and Ted to go over to the hotel and bring back his luggage, he'll be staying here now."  
  
Ted looked up at her in surprise and opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Adam.  
  
"Ted, do us all a favor and just say 'Yes ma'am.'"  
  
"Yes ma'am!" he quickly responded with his quirky grin and the two men stood to hurry out. Then the three still in the sitting room could hear muffled laughter as Ted and Joe went out the front door.  
  
Thea was smiling a very pleased smile when she turned back to her husband and father-in-law. "Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I think I better get dinner started. It's almost four o'clock." She started for the door then paused to give her husband a quick, disgusted glance. "Bangtail House," she said and rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you said that," she finished with as she left the room.  
  
Adam winced, closed his eyes, and shook his head as his father chuckled saying, "I can't believe you said that either."  
  
"I swear to you Pa, I have no idea what possessed me to. And I also swear that woman could hear through solid rock."  
  
Ben didn't even try to hide his amusement at his eldest son's embarrassment. "It's that special hearing ability that most mother's develop. But husband's get caught by it too." He was smiling a very wide smile when Adam gave him a dark look.  
  
"You're having a really good time today, aren't you?"  
  
His father just chuckled as his answer.  
  
Adam opened his mouth to continue the conversation when they heard a knock at the front door.  
  
"I'll get it!" Thea yelled from the kitchen doorway, but when Adam shouted back, "NO YOU WON'T!" she just giggled and went back to what she had been doing.  
  
He plucked Fred off his shoulder and realized he didn't quite know what to do with him until his father said, "Give him to me, I want to get a closer look at that thing." Adam handed the little dog over and Fred's eyes opened for a second when Ben was holding him in both hands.  
  
As Adam left the room he heard his father chuckle again saying, "Annalise is right, this dog IS cross-eyed." He shook his head as he hurried down the hallway to the front door. Recognizing the silhouette of the person through the frosted glass he quickly opened the inner and screen doors.  
  
"Stu! What brings you to town?" he said as he waved the young man in. Stu's dusky complexion flushed slightly red as it always did when Adam gave him his usual enthusiastic welcome.  
  
"Just finished a job down Unionville way and thought I'd stop and see how you all were doing." His shy smile was reflected in his light brown eyes. Realizing he was inside he quickly took his hat off and his deeply wavy dark brown hair seemed to spring to life right before Adam's eyes. He smiled as a lock fell across Stu's forehead and the man shoved it impatiently back.  
  
"Stu!" Thea's voice came to them from the kitchen doorway and she practically ran down the hallway to give him a tight hug. The thin young man flushed an even deeper red, but his smile grew as he carefully and gently hugged her back.  
  
"Dear Lord, you're practically skin and bone!" Thea exclaimed. "I can almost count your ribs," she continued as she took him by the hand and started dragging him toward the kitchen. He glanced back to give Adam a resigned smile and a nod, meaning they would have to talk later.  
  
Thea paused halfway down the hall. "Marie! Alexander! Annalise! Stu is here!" she yelled up the stairs and they heard the sounds of doors opening and closing then feet hurrying. She continued to drag the now laughing young man toward the kitchen.  
  
Adam smiled an extremely pleased smile as he slowly made his way back toward the sitting room. He could always depend on Thea being hospitable to whoever showed up at their door. There seemed to be no limit to the fountain of affection flowing from her heart and in all the years they had been together he had never once seen her overwhelmed by a crowd of people. As he was about to turn in at the sitting room door he stopped as he suddenly realized he preferred his house to be full and was a little shocked by that thought. But then he smiled and tucked that revelation away to be examined more thoroughly later.  
  
Ben had Fred in his lap and was absently running a hand down the little dog's back - he seemed to thinking deeply about something. But he looked up when Adam came to sit in the rocking chair next to him.  
  
"Who was that?" he asked and continued to pet the small creature.  
  
"Stu Clayton. He's someone I've hired frequently over the years to do jobs for me. I guess technically I'd have to call him a hired gun, but he's no killer. Stu only uses his gun when necessary. But he's the fastest draw I've ever seen."  
  
Ben's brow furrowed at the term "hired gun" but as usual accepted his son's estimation of the man's character.  
  
"So what were you thinking about? Is there a problem I can help you with?"  
  
"Oh no, no. I was just thinking about how much things have changed."  
  
"Changed how?"  
  
"For the better, of course. You know that. Once I realized you HAD to do something more with your life than just work the ranch everything seemed to naturally fall into place. For the longest time it was just the four of us and I despaired of that ever changing. Then you came home and everything just exploded. This family is growing by leaps and bounds all because of you and I could not be more pleased. With Theadora and the children at first then Dora, and now Ted." Ben paused to chuckle; "I'm even starting to think of your deputies as family members now."  
  
Adam smiled as he looked down, surprised that he was almost embarrassed, but shrugged that feeling off.  
  
"I'm glad you feel that way Pa, and you've just given me the perfect opportunity to discuss a few things with you I've been meaning to for some time."  
  
"Oh no, don't tell me you're leaving."  
  
Adam was genuinely shocked. "No! We're home and we're home to stay. We are NOT going anywhere."  
  
"Good," his father sighed in relief.  
  
The two men exchanged smiles then Adam's expression turned serious. "The first thing I wanted to tell you is now that this region has been officially assigned to my office I will be hiring a few more deputies. And we will be starting to make periodic riding inspections of the entire area. What that means to you, Hoss, and Joe, as the owners of the largest privately owned tract of land, is that you will receive our services for free. We will be patrolling both the borders and the interior of the Ponderosa and what was the King spread. This also means you three and the ranch hands won't need to ride fence anymore. We will be surveying that for you."  
  
His father was looking at him in surprise as Adam continued. "Of course we will be patrolling all the other areas as well, but the people I will be hiring will be doing that almost exclusively."  
  
"I've never heard of that before," Ben finally said.  
  
"I know. This is something I've been thinking about for a while and discussing with my men. Remember, I've been given a free hand and I think this will prove to be necessary for us to ensure the safety of all residents. We have to know what's going on in the entire region."  
  
"That makes sense."  
  
"I thought so, and that brings me to the second topic. I received a letter from Will a few weeks ago. Things are not going very well for him and it seems to me that Laura's aunt's interference in their marriage is the problem now and has been from the beginning. Will thinks so too and is considering moving here. He's looking for work and is very interested in joining my office as one of the new deputies. What do you think? I won't hire him if you can use him to work the ranch."  
  
Ben thought about that for a moment. "Frankly, I would rather not have a distant family member as an employee. In my experience that sort of thing just does not work out very well. But if YOU hire him he will really be working for the federal government, not you."  
  
"That's just what I was thinking. Good, that takes care of that problem." He paused to raise his arms over his head and stretched. "Now, when I took this director's position it was with the understanding that I would be dividing my time between the office and my other business interests. This includes taking over the book keeping for the ranch and the annex. Thea and I are a well-trained team doing that now and it takes half the time it normally would."  
  
"The annex?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I picked up that term from Thea. That's what she calls the new land. She figures that's what it is since it adjoins the Ponderosa and is a little less than about a third in size when you compare the two."  
  
"I like that. We'll have to clear it with Hoss and Joe, but I think that's the perfect name. We can't keep calling it the King spread."  
  
"I'm sure they'll agree." He leaned back in his chair and began to rock. "So, getting back to dividing my time, I will also be available to come out and help during busy times, or when you're short handed. Nate, John, Mike, and Dylan are also willing to help if you should ever need them. They all have experience." He chuckled, "And some day I think you will have four grandsons to help work the place, hopefully with their cousins. Which brings me to the last topic for our little talk." He glanced at his father's expression and chuckled. "So you noticed too."  
  
Ben just grinned and nodded his head. "Looks to me like Annalise and the boys will be getting a cousin in about six months time."  
  
"Hoss has no idea, does he?"  
  
"No, I think he still can't believe he's married."  
  
"Or perhaps is still in shock?" The two men grinned at each other.  
  
"I wonder why she hasn't said anything to him? Or do you think she doesn't know either?" Ben mused.  
  
"I'm sure she knows and I have a pretty good idea why she hasn't said anything. So I'll have to have a little talk with her mentor. Dora needs to tell him even though I'm sure Thea is right and Hoss will be hysterical for a while. But he'll settle down eventually." He paused to yawn. "Sorry Pa, Thea's been waking me up even earlier than usual lately. She's been fighting off some sort of stomach illness." He yawned once more. "And I'm also sorry that it looks like YOUR house will be in a state of barely controlled insanity for a while."  
  
"Oh well, these things happen" his father answered. They exchanged amused looks and couldn't help but start laughing again at the mental picture of how Hoss was going to react. Then they both looked up when they heard Joe and Ted return. Adam stood.  
  
"I guess I better show Ted to his room, I'm sure Thea has her hands full in the kitchen," he gave his father one more smile then hurried out.  
  
Ben just sat there quietly, still petting Fred. When he saw the three men go past the door and up the stairs he smiled a huge smile and his eyes began to sparkle with happiness.  
  
"Well Fred," he said softly and the little dog opened his eyes. "Your master's sister was right. All I had to do was step back and be patient. She said he would come around eventually. Damn, sometimes that woman is so smart it's frightening."  
  
Fred sat up, let out an enormous yawn then made what sounded like a low growl of agreement as he grinned up into Ben's amused face. Chuckling softly he scooped the dog up, stood, and started for the kitchen to try and have a few words in private with his daughter-in-law.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
ASSUMPTIONS  
  
Chapter 54  
  
Adam never did get a chance to have a private chat with Stu that day; the evening went by too quickly.  
  
Ben, on the other hand, did manage to have a little chat with Thea when he followed her up to the nursery when she went to check on the babies.  
  
She was just leaning over Thomas and covering him with his blanket when Ben quietly came into the room.  
  
Thea turned her head toward him and smiled a welcome. Then she took him by the hand and led him over to the rocking chairs. After arranging two of them so they faced each other they both sat down and leaned forward to converse in low voices. Ben got right to the point.  
  
"You were right."  
  
"So Adam finally got a chance to talk to you?"  
  
"Oh yes."  
  
"I hoped he would. That's partly why I sent Joe off with Ted, to give you two a little privacy."  
  
"I thought you might have. You do a lot of 'arranging' things for Adam don't you?"  
  
She nodded with a grin, "Yes sir! That's my job as second in command." They laughed quietly together for a moment.  
  
"It's funny," Thea said, "when anyone asks Adam anything about running the house and taking care of this family he always says he just lives here and they need to speak to management."  
  
Ben nodded, "He's told me that too."  
  
"I think it's one of his favorite jokes." She shook her head, "Now as for Adam and the ranch you just watch. He will continue to liquidate assets in one way or another. Either by selling outright or offering partners the chance to buy him out." She paused for a moment to think. "I only know of one business I'm sure he will keep and the only silent partnerships he will continue with are the annex, the hotel, and the club."  
  
"Does he have that many partnerships, then?"  
  
"Oh my yes, and after he's finished selling he'll have more money than even he will know what to do with."  
  
"And then he will be free to concentrate on the regional office and the ranch," Ben wasn't asking, he was just stating a fact. Thea nodded as they smiled very pleased smiles.  
  
"Just remember, Pa, I NEVER try to tell Adam what to do. But being the intelligent man he is he listens to my opinion and takes it seriously."  
  
"So this is what you want too?"  
  
"Of course! This arrangement will keep him happy because he won't be bored, while at the same time alleviating some of the guilt I know he felt by forgetting his obligations to you and Hoss and Joe. But you can be sure of one thing - he would have done this no matter what anyone else said. He is doing this for his children. Wealth is one thing that will be handed down to them, but their true heritage is the land. And you know exactly what I mean."  
  
"Yes, yes I do. And I was hoping my eldest son would completely understand what it meant someday. And it looks like that day is finally here."  
  
Thea nodded, smiling her widest smile, her eyes shining in the dim light. Then she laughed softly.  
  
"What?" Ben asked, grinning in response to her laugh.  
  
"Have you ever played chess against yourself?"  
  
"No, I can't say that I have."  
  
"Well, I haven't either, I doubt I could. But I bet Adam can. He's been doing something very much like that with money for years now. You see he administers my inheritance most of which is in trust for the children. So of course he administers his own funds and I've known for some time that he wants to catch up to mine. But since he does both..." She paused as Ben started laughing and said, "But he can't catch up with himself!"  
  
Her shoulders were shaking and she had one hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.  
  
"I swear Pa, some day it will drive him stark, staring mad!"  
  
They laughed quietly together again then Thea said, "I'm hoping this wholesale liquidation will do the trick. It's the only possible solution to his problem." Still laughing softly they stood and went into the hall.  
  
She pulled the door only halfway shut and started down the hallway, but Ben stopped her by placing a hand on her arm.  
  
"Adam said you have been ill lately. Do you know what's wrong?"  
  
"No, I can't seem to figure it out because it seems like...but no, it can't be that. Anyway, I made an appointment to see Matt tomorrow morning. Maybe we can figure it out together." She smiled up into his concerned face.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she said and took his hand again to lead him down the hall and back down the stairs to the brightly lit kitchen noisy with family and friends.  
  
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Everyone went to bed much later than was their usual habit, and as had been happening for a couple of weeks now Thea woke up around four o'clock. The choking nausea rose up in her throat and seemed to cut her breathing off, bringing her abruptly awake and sitting up.  
  
Once she was sure she could breathe again she carefully slipped out of bed, praying she wouldn't wake Adam. She had been trying to be quiet, but his hearing was just as acute as her own. However, this morning she was lucky and he stayed asleep.  
  
Smiling with relief, she slipped into her robe and moved almost silently toward the door. She had just turned the knob and opened it a crack when the darkness of the hallway suddenly lightened. Peering through the crack she saw Stu's door open and her jaw dropped when Marie came out.  
  
She stood there stunned, watching as Marie turned, put her arms around Stu, and hugged him tightly. Then she stretched up on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss on the lips. The two spoke low to each other and the only words she was certain she heard were, "love you".  
  
Marie moved away and turned toward her rooms in the other hallway and as she passed by Thea held her breath, hoping the woman wouldn't notice. Marie didn't and Thea relaxed, waiting a few more moments before stepping out into the hallway and making her way down to the kitchen where she could pace without bothering anyone.  
  
Since she had started experiencing this nausea she would usually take this time to go over what needed do be done during the coming day, but this time she couldn't think of anything else but Marie and Stu.  
  
By the time the sun had risen and she heard Adam starting to move around upstairs she was only sure about one thing. She would not tell her husband what she had seen because it qualified as an invasion of privacy. What she had seen had been by accident and it was really nobody's business - nobody's business at all.  
  
Having made her decision she hurried upstairs to get dressed and to get the day started.  
  
When she went into the bedroom Adam turned toward her as he was shrugging into a red shirt, her favorite color for him to wear. Before he could start buttoning it she hurried forward to run her hands over his chest. Then she slipped her hands around him and rubbed his back under the shirt.  
  
He chuckled as he wrapped one hand in her hair and pulled to tip her head back. Slipping his free arm around her waist he slanted his mouth over hers, nudging her mouth open with his tongue. She sighed with pleasure as the kiss deepened and she slipped her hands down the back of his trousers. Adam jerked in surprise, then stepped back to laugh and to pull her hands out of his pants.  
  
"Now stop that! You behave yourself woman."  
  
Thea stuck out her lower lip in an outrageous pout, making him laugh again.  
  
"That doesn't work for Annalise and it's not going to work for you either, young lady. You know I have to go."  
  
"Oh well, can't blame a girl for trying," she said and gave him a cheeky grin.  
  
He gave her a skeptical look then turned away to finish buttoning his shirt then tucked it in. Just as he was gathering up his hat and vest she slid her arms around his waist then pressed up against him from behind. He started laughing again as he grabbed her wrists to keep her hands from getting into more mischief.  
  
"What is with you this morning?" he asked as he turned back around and took her by the shoulders to push her back up against the bed and then pushed her down until she sat.  
  
"Sit!" he said and started backing away toward the door. "Stay!" he said when she shifted on the bed to turn toward him. When he was at the door he reached back to turn the knob, opened it and started to back through. Just before he pulled the door shut he poked his head back in to say, "Good girl!" and then was gone.  
  
Thea fell back on the bed giggling helplessly as she listened to him hurry down the stairs and out the back door, as though she was right behind him. When she could breathe again, she weakly sat up then stood to get dressed as quickly as she could. She was already hearing sounds from the children's rooms and knew she didn't have a chance in heaven of them ever being patient.  
  
"Thank God for Marie," she said softly to herself and hurried faster, but still smiled a knowing smile. She was aware of what her husband would be frequently thinking about today.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
About midmorning the door to the office Thea shared with Matt opened and she stepped out then slowly pulled the door closed behind her. A fitful ray of sun managed to break through the overcast sky and shone on the buggy she had taken this morning, intending to do some house calls after her appointment with Matt.  
  
She stood there for a few moments then suddenly ran to the buggy, pulled herself up into the driver's seat, and took off heading out of town.  
  
Her thoughts kept spinning around in her head and she couldn't seem to get a firm grip on any of them. When she reached the ranch house, she pulled the horse up abruptly and jumped to the ground as Ben opened the front door. She ran across the yard, threw herself into his arms, and just stood there, her entire body shaking violently.  
  
Ben tightened his hold on her. "Good God Thea, what is wrong?"  
  
She raised her head to look at him with tear-filled eyes and gasped out, "I'm a dead woman Pa," then buried her face in his chest again.  
  
Her father-in-law slipped an arm around her shoulders and gently prodded her through the door. Once they were inside, he led her to a chair then pushed her down into it. Then he sat down on the low table in front of her and took both her hands in his own.  
  
"Now," he said quietly, "what is this about?"  
  
"Pa, I am a dead woman and your son is the one who's going to kill me." She tightened her grip on his hands as she started shaking again and hung her head.  
  
"Thea, there is nothing that you could possibly do that would make Adam do such a thing."  
  
She looked up to meet his concerned eyes. "I'm...oh God I can't say it."  
  
"You're what? Are you ill? What is it?" Ben was starting to feel real fear for her until two words burst from her tight throat.  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
His eyes opened wide in shock. "Theadora, how can this be, I thought..."  
  
I know," she interrupted him. "I thought that too, but seemingly I didn't understand what Matt was telling me after the triplets came." She shook her head as she raised one hand to wipe away a tear.  
  
"Adam is NEVER going to believe that was just a mistake. He's going to think I did this on purpose."  
  
"I take it then that Adam doesn't want anymore children?"  
  
"Of course not, you've heard the things he's said." Another tear rolled down her cheek. "He's never going to forgive me for this," she said in a small voice and looked down again.  
  
"Thea, I think you're over-reacting. Adam wouldn't..." he paused when he heard voices and looked up to see Dora and Hoss coming down the hall toward the stairs. They both stopped when they took in the scene below.  
  
Thea, facing the other way, also looked up and gasped when she saw Adam pulling his horse up next to the buggy. Even from inside and through the window she could see his furious expression. At her gasp, Ben had turned his head to look too.  
  
"I drove out here alone," she said in a horrified voice. "Now he really IS going to kill me."  
  
Both of them stood and Thea stayed behind Ben as Adam strode through the front door. He must have seen her hiding behind his father through the window because he walked up to the older man and firmly said, "Pa, step aside."  
  
Ben instinctively started to, but then briefly hesitated. Adam tipped his head slightly sideways and gave his father a chiding look.  
  
"Pa...step aside," he repeated and his father did. Then he looked at his wife with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Theadora, stop that shaking - it's insulting. You KNOW I would never hurt you." He paused to let out an exasperated sigh. "Come here," he said and when she did he took her hand to pull her across the room and out the front door. She turned her head back as they went through to give Ben one last despairing glance then her husband closed the door.  
  
Adam pulled her across the yard, through the barn door, then into an empty stall. He indicated for her to sit down on a hay bale then hauled another over to sit in front of her. She waited for him to speak first as he continued to stare at her with angry eyes and a clenched jaw.  
  
"What happened?" he finally said in a voice deepened by his anger. "I want you to tell me what happened and why you broke your promise."  
  
She met his gaze and when he saw her anguished eyes his angry expression lessened greatly.  
  
"Theadora, what is it?" he demanded as she continued to stare at him mutely.  
  
"Adam, I'm pregnant," she managed to force the words out as she hung her head and braced herself for his reaction. The seconds ticked by and she almost started to relax when he spoke.  
  
"Alright, NOW I want you to explain to me how that is possible."  
  
"I misunderstood what Matt told me after the triplets came. I thought he said he HAD done a hysterectomy, but he hadn't. He said he chose to repair the damage so I wouldn't suffer any more blood loss." She looked up and sighed as she closed her eyes, "I am so sorry, this is all my fault."  
  
"Sure it is. You did this all on your own," he said dubiously. Then he reached out to take her hands and tugged on them so she would look at him. When she opened her eyes she couldn't believe that the corners of his mouth were actually turned up a little.  
  
"Theadora, if that were true you really would need to be written up in the medical journals. It takes two people, remember?" Shaking his head he said, "Besides, I should have discussed it with him myself, you weren't exactly coherent at the time."  
  
"You weren't either."  
  
"I know, but I still should have talked to him about it. At least I can understand now why you drove out here by yourself."  
  
"I thought you were going to kill me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
She stared at him in surprise, "Because you don't want any more children."  
  
"I don't? Now when did you ever hear those words coming out of my mouth?"  
  
Thea started to answer and then realized she couldn't.  
  
"You never heard me say that. You just assumed I didn't want any more children. Never assume something about me again Thea. In fact it's a good idea to never assume anything." She nodded and started to relax.  
  
"And another thing. You didn't drive out here alone because you thought I was going to kill you."  
  
"Yes I did, I was terrified!"  
  
"I'm sure you were, but not for that reason." Tightening his hold on her hands he gently continued, "Thea, your last pregnancy temporarily ended in death. If that's not a good reason to run off in a blind panic, I don't what is."  
  
Her eyes blinked rapidly as she took that thought in then her mouth dropped open when she realized he was right.  
  
Adam sighed deeply and his expression showed he was preparing himself for the worst when he said, "So, do you know how many it's going to be this time?"  
  
She was still staring at him in surprise as she lifted a hand up with only one finger raised.  
  
"ONE? Are you sure?" She nodded and started to smile in relief.  
  
"I only have one more question. What does this mean for you?" She didn't understand what he was asking.  
  
"Theadora," he said in response to her puzzled look, "is your life going to be in danger again?"  
  
"Oh no, no. Everything feels normal and Matt isn't any more concerned than he would be with any pregnancy."  
  
Adam gave her one more narrow look, then sighed. "Thank God it's not quadruplets this time, that's what I would have expected."  
  
Thea laughed, "Mathematical progression?"  
  
He nodded as he stood and tugged on her hands so she would too. Taking her into his arms he said, "Are you SURE it's only one?"  
  
She nodded her head against his chest and he chuckled. "So what's one more? There's not a big difference between having five and having six children. But this is it, I don't want your life being put in danger again."  
  
"I know, and I AM sorry."  
  
"Just remember this isn't all your fault. Hopefully Annalise will finally get the sister she's always wanted. I feel sorry for the poor kid having nothing but brothers." He put one arm around her shoulders and they started out of the stall, walking slowly.  
  
"I hope so too, but we won't know until January."  
  
"Ah, and Dora is due in what, February?"  
  
"Yes she..." Thea started to agree, but stopped and gave him a resigned look. "How did you know?"  
  
"Pa and I noticed the same signs."  
  
"Pa knows too!"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"You didn't tell Hoss did you?"  
  
"Nope, but Dora needs to and soon. I know you're both trying to avoid telling Hoss until you have to, but he has a right to know."  
  
"I know, but he's going to drive her crazy by hovering over her constantly."  
  
"Well, all I can do is have a talk with him myself, but I doubt it will make any difference."  
  
"Thank you, I guess it can't hurt for you to try."  
  
They had reached the front door and Adam looked down into her face with a smile as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. Thea went in first and he followed, only pausing to shut the door.  
  
Pa, Hoss, and Dora were all standing in a group near the desk when Dora hurried up to take Thea by the shoulders. "Is it true?" she said her face flushed with excitement. When her cousin nodded she let out a shriek that startled everyone then threw her arms around Thea and almost lifted her off the floor.  
  
"When?" she asked as she pulled back.  
  
"January."  
  
"Only one month before me!" Dora enthused and hugged her cousin again, but more gently this time. "That's not fair, you were supposed to be finished so we could catch up!"  
  
Adam had turned to look at Hoss when Dora let her own news slip out. Hoss had been smiling, happy for his brother and sister-in-law, but when Dora's words sank in the smile was wiped off his face and his expression tightened. This was not the reaction Adam had expected - he was surprised that his younger brother was angry. He quickly moved forward to draw Thea away from her cousin as Hoss walked up behind his wife.  
  
Dora's expression turned puzzled when Adam pulled Thea back until Hoss tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around and saw his face she instinctively took a step back and clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
"How long?" he asked her then his mouth clamped shut and his jaw muscles stood out as he clenched his teeth.  
  
"Not until February," Dora answered quickly.  
  
"No, that's not what I'm askin'. How long have you known," he said through clenched teeth as Dora stared back at him, horrified.  
  
"Um...only a month or two."  
  
Hoss's face turned red. "ONLY a month or two," he echoed his wife's words then closed his eyes. When he opened them Thea was shocked to see how they had darkened with his anger. She started to take a step forward to tell him it was all her fault when Adam quickly pulled her back against him with an arm around her waist then put a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Stay out of it," he whispered in her ear and when he looked up Hoss turned his head to meet his older brother's gaze. They stared at each other for a few seconds then the big man abruptly turned around and strode out the front door, slamming it shut behind him.  
  
"Where is he going?" Dora almost wailed deeply shaken by this turn of events.  
  
"Probably to the barn to take some of my advice," Adam answered her as he took his hand away from Thea's mouth.  
  
Dora hurried over to the window in time to see Hoss going into the barn. She turned back to look at Ben who gave her a sympathetic smile even as he shook his head at her. Turning again, she continued to watch out the window until she saw Hoss come back out and head for the house. Then she hurried over to stand directly in line with the front door, but several yards back.  
  
Hoss seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, but they could all see he was still angry. He stopped right in front of her and as he pointed a finger in her face Adam could see his knuckles had taken a beating.  
  
"Don't you ever keep somethin' like that from me again. No, don't ever keep anythin' from me again. No matter what it is, you hear?"  
  
Dora nodded slowly never taking her eyes from his. "I'm sorry and I swear I won't ever keep anything from you again," she said quietly.  
  
Her husband blinked, not expecting this calm, agreeable reaction from her and let his hand drop as she stepped forward, put her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. He sighed deeply as he gave his older brother a sideways look. Adam responded with raised eyebrows, a pleased smile, and a nod. Then Hoss wrapped his arms around Dora and squeezed her tightly.  
  
Hearing someone clearing their throat, they all turned toward the desk where Ben was now sitting with his elbow propped on the desktop and his chin in his hand. He turned his bright black eyes back and forth between the two couples a few times. "Is the show over?" he said with a grin and joined in on the answering laughter.  
  
He stood and came toward them, but stopped when both women rushed up to hug him at the same time. He staggered back a step, put an arm around the shoulders of each daughter-in-law then gave his two sons a knowing smile. "Congratulations boys," he said, "and good luck. I think you're both going to need it."  
  
Adam looked at Hoss with one eyebrow raised and his half smile. "Are we going to let him get away with that?" he asked his brother who smiled and shook his head. So they both hurried toward their father as their wives quickly stepped back.  
  
Hoss wrapped his father in a bear hug as Adam kept going, but was back in a few seconds with a bottle of champagne in his hands. He shook the bottle and popped the cork saying, "Stand back, brother!" Hoss stepped away just as the first spray of champagne doused his father from head to toe.  
  
"Congratulations Grandpa!" Adam shouted and his father laughed as he wiped champagne off his face. Then he caught his eldest son by surprise by rushing forward, grabbing the bottle, and pouring some over Adam's head. He stepped back as the younger man started laughing helplessly.  
  
"I think Hoss looks too dry," he said and Adam nodded as Ben put his thumb over the top of the bottle and shook it up again.  
  
"Come here Hoss," he said with a wicked grin. "I'm sure you'll like this, it was an excellent year," he continued as he began to stalk his son around the room.  
  
Hoss was breathless with laughter as he backed away. "Now Pa, take it easy," he said as he started to backup toward the front door. Unfortunately, he hadn't noticed Thea and Dora standing there. They each grabbed one of his arms and hid behind him as Ben shook the bottle up again and sprayed the big man all over.  
  
The two women were leaning against Hoss weak with laughter when he abruptly turned around and picked both of them up, getting them soaked too. He was still standing there with the shrieking women in his arms when they heard a gasp.  
  
They all turned and saw Hop Sing standing there with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. He looked from person to person while slowly shaking his head. "Sometime I think I never understand you," he said and was still shaking his head as he backed away toward the kitchen.  
  
The five of them exchanged embarrassed glances until Hoss sneezed and a fine spray of champagne came out his nose. That finished them off and no one was capable of speaking or even taking a deep breath for quite some time.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
GET TOGETHER  
  
Chapter 55  
  
That evening was the first time the entire local crowd of friends and family had managed to get together in months. Matt and Cassie had just come back a week before from his family home in Philadelphia where they had been married. Hoss and Dora were also present, having made up that afternoon, and the two newlywed couples were sitting on the sofa.  
  
All four deputies were present, as was Barbara because her husband Sam was out of town again on official Post Office business. She was sitting on a love seat sandwiched in between Nate and Dylan who were making her laugh as they flirted with her outrageously. Roy and Ben were sitting in chairs next to each other and were conversing in low voices oblivious to what was going on around them. Alexander was in Roy's lap, while Annalise was in Ben's. Surprisingly, the children were being quiet, listening to the conversation going on over their heads.  
  
Thea was sitting cross-legged in a wingback chair with Benjamin in her lap, and Joe was sitting on a hassock in front of her. Her youngest brother-in- law was telling her stories from his childhood, making her laugh at his memories of driving her husband insane. While they talked Thea kept touching Benjamin, tickling his foot, or stroking his cheek, or rubbing his belly. The baby was silent, enjoying having his mother to himself and stared up at her in rapt fascination.  
  
His brother Thomas, however, was busy playing with his new uncle. Ted sat on the floor and was patiently building tall spires of wooden blocks for Thomas to knock down. The ten-month-old would chortle with glee when the blocks scattered across the floor then would sit there patiently waiting for Ted to build them up again. Neither one looked like they would be tired of the game anytime soon.  
  
Adam was sitting on the floor in front of Marie while Matthew was climbing all over him. The two were discussing the trip to visit family Marie would be embarking on the next afternoon. Adam was managing to keep his son from falling on his head, but still kept up the conversation.  
  
John and Mike were near Thea's chair and also sitting on the floor. They were eavesdropping on Joe's stories and trying to not look obvious, but their muffled laughter gave them away.  
  
Everything ground to a halt when Annalise startled everyone by letting out a piercing shriek. The little girl slid out of her Grandfather's lap and ran up to Dora, her expression wild with excitement.  
  
"You're gonna have a baby?" she practically shouted up at her new aunt. Dora gasped, turned beet red, and buried her face in her husband's shoulder as everyone else except Annalise burst out laughing. Hoss was laughing so hard he couldn't get a word out.  
  
The little girl was practically dancing with impatience for an answer when she heard her father calling her name. Realizing she had committed a serious infraction of the rules she reluctantly turned and went to him with her head hanging. But when she reached her father who was now standing, and risked a quick peek at his face, she saw he was smiling.  
  
Adam picked her up and looked at Hoss who was still chuckling, but nodded his head.  
  
"Alright everyone, yes it's true. Hoss and Dora are expecting their first child in February," he said. Dora had to hide her face again as whistles, congratulations, and cheers filled the room. Then he leaned his head down to whisper "Calm down now," to his daughter who had started to squirm around in his arms, she was so excited.  
  
When the room was reasonably quiet again he made sure he had a tight grip on his daughter as he continued. "But that's not all folks, Thea and I will be increasing our family by one in January." Mayhem then ensued.  
  
Joe laughed so hard he weakly tipped over and fell to the floor on his side. Barbara leapt to her feet with a stifled gasp of disbelief and rushed across the room to hug Thea. Marie was right behind her. Cassie actually started crying tears of joy for her friend and her new husband couldn't help but laugh even as he held her close to comfort her while she sobbed.  
  
The deputies stared at each other in consternation for a few moments. Then almost as one they stood and hurried up to clap their boss on the back and laugh in his face. If he hadn't been holding his daughter they would have tortured him further with a few risqué comments as well.  
  
The newest member of the family, Ted, was sitting there looking stunned as Thomas climbed into his lap. The child looked around the room for a bit, his dark green eyes shining as he took in the celebration going on all around him. He started to laugh himself, then bellowed out "Pa!" over and over again as he vigorously clapped his little hands.  
  
Ted broke out into huge gales of laughter and began to applaud too. Soon everyone but the two couples and Adam were clapping and the noise level became almost deafening. Adam just shook his head, then smiled at Annalise as he leaned his head down to whisper in her ear.  
  
"Why don't we both keep our fingers crossed that this baby will be a girl?" She stopped clapping and grinned up at him, her emerald eyes gleaming with delight as she nodded.  
  
"But we have to keep that our secret, no one else can know or it might not come true. OK?" he continued and she giggled as she held up one small hand and said, "Pinky swear?"  
  
Adam chuckled as he reached to link fingers with his daughter.  
  
"Pinky swear," he said solemnly then kissed her on the forehead before setting her down. She immediately rushed across the room to her mother.  
  
The noise soon died down but the excitement level still remained high as Adam motioned for Nate to come with him to help break out the champagne. Hopefully this time people would end up drinking the fine wine instead of wearing it.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A few hours later the party started to break up and people scattered. Nate and Dylan left to escort Barbara home while Mike, John, and Joe went across the street to the Sage Brush. Marie hurried upstairs to finish packing and didn't notice Adam watching her go up the stairs. Hoss and Dora took the five children up next. The couple had volunteered to put them to bed, no doubt thinking they could use the practice. Roy had left about an hour before and Ben had chosen to go up to his room then.  
  
Thea saw Matt and Cassie out and after watching them walk up the street until she couldn't see them anymore, she took advantage of the warm evening to sit on the swing and relax. She had just started swinging when the screen door opened and Ted came out.  
  
"Would you rather be alone?" he said and she could see the faint gleam of his white teeth as he smiled.  
  
Thea patted the swing and waved him over saying, "No, not at all. It's just so beautiful out tonight I didn't want to go back in yet."  
  
As she watched him come out the door and move across the porch toward her almost silently she was struck by the similarities between her brother and her husband. Both were large men, but moved with masculine grace and control. Ted was about a half-an-inch taller than Adam, but her husband's commanding presence always made him seem to be the tallest man in the room. They were highly intelligent, witty, compassionate, and unafraid to show affection. She smiled as Ted sat next to her and without thinking about it they pushed off in unison.  
  
Ted stretched his long arms out on top of the back of the swing so his sister scooted a little closer and laid her head on his shoulder. They swung in silence for a while until Thea spoke.  
  
"What are your plans now? I mean I don't know all that much about you yet. Have you even thought what you would do once you fulfilled your promise to Lilly?"  
  
"Well, yes I did, but now I can see I'll have to rethink everythin'."  
  
"Why?"  
  
He chuckled, "Theadora, I had absolutely no idea this family would welcome me with open arms the way you all have. I had decided to practice part time in San Francisco while devotin' the rest of my time to seekin' out new treatments, experimentin', and writin'."  
  
"Writing more articles?"  
  
"Yes ma'am, but mostly keepin' in touch with doctors in Europe who are way ahead of us in understandin' the human brain. I want to test some of my own theories and eventually write a book about my findins."  
  
"So you'll be moving to San Francisco then?"  
  
"No."  
  
"No?"  
  
"No. There is no way under the sun that I am goin' to move away from this family. You all are stuck with me now."  
  
Thea chuckled and Ted could feel the tension leave her shoulders. He smiled.  
  
"Besides, I looked around that room tonight and realized I could not ask for better subjects to observe. Especially that husband of yours - that man's mind is fascinatin'. And not only that, where else would I be able to find a set of twins and a set of triplets in one family? I'm looking forward to watchin' them develop."  
  
"Ted, you're not talking about studying my children are you?"  
  
"Oh no! Not studyin', just watchin' and observin'. But Adam's brain is the one I want to dig into, figuratively speakin'. And frankly I think he's already buildin' up a stock of questions he wants to ask me. He's been through so much and his experiences have been pretty damn unique. So I'm hopin' I'll be able to help him get a handle on some of them, to answer some of the 'whys?' The 'whys' are always the worst Theadora. They're just like havin' a burr under your saddle blanket."  
  
"Oh, so that's what's been going on in the back of his mind today. You and his worry over Marie."  
  
"Marie? Why is he worried about her, is she in trouble or ill? I'd hate to see anthin' happen to that sweet lady."  
  
Thea sighed deeply. "She's leaving tomorrow to visit family in California and Adam is just not happy about her going. I figured out recently that he doesn't like it when any of us are beyond his reach."  
  
"Does he give any reason why he feels that way?"  
  
"No, he hasn't actually said anything, but I know Adam better than anyone and I can tell."  
  
"He worries a lot, doesn't he?"  
  
"Constantly," she answered and sighed again. "I think he probably started worrying the day he was born and hasn't stopped since."  
  
He chuckled quietly at her outrageous overstatement and tightened his hold on her shoulders.  
  
"I don't mean to deliberately change the subject, but I have a question for you. Why did everyone react with disbelief to Adam announcin' you're expectin' an addition to the family? There has to be somethin' I don't know."  
  
"Dear Lord, this is embarrassing."  
  
Ted chuckled again, "Now you HAVE to tell me." She shook her head, but began to explain.  
  
"I guess you could say it all started when I died..." he interrupted her with a startled, "What!"  
  
She quickly continued, telling him everything about that miraculous night when the triplets entered the world. "So this is all my fault. I don't know if I really just misunderstood Matt, or if I did that deliberately. I don't know for sure, but I do know the fault is mine."  
  
"So you're sayin' that you and you alone are responsible for this child's creation? Am I hearin' you correctly?"  
  
"God, you're saying the same thing Adam said."  
  
"Really? Then he must be as smart as I think he is." His white teeth flashed in the dim light again as he grinned down at her.  
  
"You're teasing me aren't you?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Finally I have a sibling to tease me! I was so happy when Joe found Adam because I suddenly had two brothers to torment. But I think they may be a little intimidated by me - they hardly ever tease me back."  
  
"Don't worry about that with me. I'm not intimidated by you even the littlest bit."  
  
"Oh good!" she chortled.  
  
"Just remember that havin' a siblin' is new to me too, unlike Hoss and Joe. And it seems to me they know everythin' there is to know about drivin' your husband to distraction."  
  
Thea laughed fully this time. "I wish you could have been sitting closer this evening. You just would not believe the things Joe put him through when he was a child. Adam spent a lot of time taking care of his brothers."  
  
"Ah...so the pattern started that early," Ted said almost to himself and had started thinking about it when she poked him in the ribs with her elbow.  
  
"Oh no you don't, Adam just disappears during conversations and you're not allowed to."  
  
"Yes ma'am," he answered in mock humility and they laughed together. Then they both turned when Adam came out the front door. He came across the porch toward them then stopped opposite the swing to half sit on the porch railing.  
  
"Am I interrupting anything?"  
  
Both Thea and Ted shook their heads and Adam smiled.  
  
"Do you folks get together like that often?" Ted asked and his brother-in- law nodded.  
  
"As often as we can." He paused and Ted could just see him frown in the indirect moonlight. "It gets harder each time with people getting married. And for some reason I've had a feeling all evening that this was the last time everyone will be together."  
  
"Don't know why, huh?" Ted asked, wishing he could see Adam's face clearly.  
  
"Nope, no idea - I just do."  
  
"You get feelin's like that often don't you? Like somethin's goin' to happen?"  
  
Adam shrugged then changed the subject. "Where is Stu? Did he take off already?" he asked his wife and she sat up.  
  
"He left early this morning. He didn't say why, but I got the impression he had another job."  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to him. And I'm sure you're sorry you didn't get to stuff him full of food for a few days."  
  
Thea laughed, "That boy needs someone to take care of him," she said and the picture of what she had seen early that morning came to mind.  
  
"He seems extremely shy and quiet to be a hired gun," Ted mused.  
  
"Believe me, he's the best," Adam answered Ted, and they all looked toward the front door when they heard scratching. He quickly went to let Fred out.  
  
The little dog rushed across the porch, jumped up into Ted's lap then climbed up to his shoulder. He sat there panting, his long pink tongue lolling out, his mouth stretched in a wide grin.  
  
"Where the hell did you find that thing?" Adam couldn't help laughing at the small creature's expression.  
  
"Well, I found Fred during my travels. In fact, someone was usin' him for target practice."  
  
Thea gasped, "No, who would do something that cruel?"  
  
"This man wasn't particularly bright and was truly surprised when I went after him." He paused to chuckle, "I still wonder sometimes how long it took him to remove that gun."  
  
Adam burst out laughing as Thea looked at him with her mouth open for a few seconds. When he grinned at her, she started laughing too.  
  
"They think I'm jokin' Fred." The dog let out a sharp yap, as though agreeing with his master.  
  
"Did you really?" Thea asked, not knowing if she should believe him.  
  
"Let me put it this way," Ted laughed, "if there is one thing that will set me off its cruelty to anyone or anythin'. And believe me when my fuse gets lit, you all don't want to be around." He reached up to scratch Fred under the chin and the little dog sighed.  
  
"Those Pennsylvania boys may not have been very intelligent," he continued, "but they sure as hell taught me how to fight."  
  
"Really?" Adam said and Thea could hear the deep interest in his tone.  
  
"Oh no! Don't you start, I don't want you talking Ted into fighting you."  
  
"Why not?" They could both see Adam's white teeth gleaming in the moonlight as he smiled a sharp smile.  
  
"You haven't fought anyone for a long time and you might hurt him," she answered with some heat.  
  
"Theadora..." he started to argue with her.  
  
"NO! I won't have it Adam Cartwright. You almost hurt Hoss, and you'd already battered your four deputies around first!" Ted opened his mouth to protest too when she turned to him.  
  
"Don't you start either," she said to her brother firmly. "I don't often put my foot down about anything, but I am NOT going to budge on this one."  
  
Adam was desperately trying to not laugh when she turned back to him.  
  
"If you two sneak around behind my back and fight believe me you will be very, very sorry." She stood, stomped over to the door, and pulled it open. "I mean it, damn it! Don't you dare!" she practically shouted at them then went inside, slamming the door shut behind her.  
  
Ted was looking at his new brother-in-law and realized the moonlight was shining directly on them and he could see the man's face clearly. He expected him to be angry and was surprised when Adam lost the struggle and had to let his laughter out. He smiled and just waited for the other man to get himself under control.  
  
"Oh God," Adam gasped, "that woman is so damned funny!"  
  
"But she was absolutely furious!"  
  
"Ah, she always gets like that when she's pregnant - hot tempered and mean. Even more than usual."  
  
"And you're not angry?"  
  
"Hell no! That's one of the things I admire about her the most," he paused to laugh one more time then took a deep breath. "I told my cousin Will once that Thea doesn't take any crap off of anyone, except me, and he would do well to remember that. Of course that was AFTER she smacked him in the back of the head so hard she drew blood."  
  
"She did!"  
  
"Oh yes. But Thea knows I will do as I see fit, no matter what she says. That's why she shouted."  
  
"So she never tries to get her way by placating you?"  
  
"Placate me?" Adam shook his head and chuckled. "Never. You've got a lot to learn about your sister Ted, that's just not Thea's style at all. She's a fighter and that's how she managed to survive when she was attacked some months ago."  
  
Ted plucked Fred off his shoulder, sat up, and set the dog down under the swing as he leaned forward, his eyes wide with fury. "Tell me."  
  
Adam sighed deeply then plunged into the story, including his attack on Mueller, his own arrest, the aborted lynching, and Thea's ultimate recovery.  
  
When he finished, his new brother-in-law was sitting back in the swing again, his expression thoughtful. "When you're right, you're right. I DO have a lot to learn about Theadora." He looked up to meet the other man's gaze. "I have a lot to learn about you, too."  
  
Tipping his head slightly to the side, Adam's eyes suddenly became intense and briefly flared with something like cold fire as he looked deeply into Ted's eyes in the moonlight. That look was calculating, remote, and unnerving. Just as the younger man had to suppress the urge to shiver, the look was gone and he was back to normal.  
  
"I guess you do," Adam said quietly then nodded as though making up his mind about something. "Alright, I know you've been waiting for this so let's get started. I have a question for you and I've only ever discussed this with one other person - my brother Hoss. But you also need to understand what the situation was with my family before I left for the last time." He paused as though taking the time to choose his words carefully.  
  
"He may not seem like it now, but my father has always had a very forceful personality, and he attempted to rule the three of us with an iron fist. Of course if you had known us back then you would have understood why." Ted smiled at the idea of anyone trying to rule this man, father or not.  
  
"But I have to admit I always felt torn - torn between loyalty to my father and wanting more than just working the ranch. I managed to escape for a while when I went to college, and I came back determined to settle down and always be there for him." He chuckled and shook his head as he stood and turned to look up at the moon.  
  
"I'm sure you've figured out by now that things just didn't turn out that way. The longer I stayed the more resentful I became. And so now we come to the question." He turned around again and came to sit next to Ted on the swing.  
  
"In your professional opinion doctor, do you think I lost my memory on purpose?"  
  
"No."  
  
Adam waited, expecting the other man to continue and when the silence stretched on he began to smile and then bit back a chuckle.  
  
"Care to explain why?"  
  
Ted shifted on the swing and brought one bent leg up until he was almost facing the other man.  
  
"Adam...what those two men did to you was so horrific, so incredibly awful that your mind HAD to do somethin' to protect itself. So those memories had to be put away, under lock and key, until you were ready - physically, emotionally, and mentally ready. If not, you would have gone insane. I have no doubt about that."  
  
The other man turned further toward him and thought that over for a while. "I think you're right."  
  
"Yes I am, and of course you had already come to that same conclusion yourself."  
  
Adam nodded. "We seem to agree on that point, so let me ask you another question."  
  
"Don't bother, I know what it is. And again my answer is no, you didn't deliberately NOT remember. You would have remembered eventually, and for one main reason. Children."  
  
"Now, you're going to have to explain that one to me."  
  
"Think about it. What do we ultimately have to pass on to our children, besides tangible things? The intangible things - family, tradition, a sense of who they are and where they came from. This is a basic human need we all have, no matter what culture or time we live in. How could you pass those things on to your children when you didn't know who YOU are?"  
  
The other man's brows rose as he considered this point, then his eyes narrowed as he thought about it more deeply.  
  
Ted laughed. "Here, I'll prove it to you. After the twins were born did you start to have more trouble sleepin'?  
  
"Yes I did."  
  
"Did you frequently wake up knowin' that your dreams were disturbin', but couldn't remember them or why you felt that way?"  
  
Adam nodded still thinking.  
  
"And did they increase as the twins became older, started walkin' and talkin'? When they became small people instead of just babies?"  
  
Smiling now, the other man nodded again.  
  
"You see? You would have remembered eventually, Joe findin' you just pushed you into it head first, no pun intended." Ted reached out to put a hand on Adam's shoulder. "Now if you hadn't cared about your children, that wouldn't have happened. But you do, your children mean everythin' to you and no matter how painful it was you were already draggin' those memories into the light. You had to...for them."  
  
Ted fell silent then, letting Adam consider his words for a while. He watched carefully, gauging the other man's thoughts by his expression. He was delighted when the older man sighed deeply, relaxed, and leaned back in the swing.  
  
"You're right and I thank you," Adam said quietly and Ted chuckled softly.  
  
"You are more than welcome, and of course I'm right, I'm always right." He grinned his quirky grin when Adam quickly turned his head to look at him.  
  
"Something tells me Thea has been filling you in about me."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Adam smiled that special smile he always did when talking or thinking about his wife. His brother-in-law was delighted again to see it.  
  
"You really do love her that much, don't you?" he asked  
  
"It's more than that Ted. Thea is the best thing that ever happened to me, or ever will. I owe everything to her - my life, my sanity, my children, everything."  
  
The younger man sighed, "Hope I find someone like that some day."  
  
"You will Ted, you will. I told Hoss the same thing and he didn't believe me. But he does now."  
  
"He's a very lucky man, Dora is a lovely woman in every way."  
  
Adam started laughing. "You may not believe this, but she took one look at him and he might as well have been tagged and bagged. He never stood a chance of getting away, and it's to his credit that he was smart enough to not try."  
  
"Hmmm...I have a feelin' that Hoss is a lot smarter than most people give him credit for," Ted said as he stood and stretched. "I think it's time for me to head on in. You comin'?" he asked and Adam shook his head.  
  
"No, you go ahead. I'm still wide awake so I might as well take advantage of the peace and quiet to do some more thinking."  
  
"You don't get very much peace and quiet, do you?"  
  
"No," Adam answered him with laughter in his voice.  
  
"Good night then," Ted said as he walked over to the door and opened it.  
  
"Good night," the other man responded and Ted paused to look back. Adam had stretched his legs out and folded his arms as he leaned back in the swing, making a long, lean silhouette in the moonlight. He was about to call Fred when he saw a small, black shadow scamper up the other man's legs then climb up onto his shoulder.  
  
"Hello Fred," Adam said softly. "You know, you still haven't convinced me you're really a dog." Ted smiled and resisted the urge to laugh as he silently went inside, carefully shut the door, and went upstairs to bed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
DEPARTURES  
  
Chapter 56  
  
The next morning Adam was up as early as usual and arrived at the regional building at the same time he always did. Dylan was waiting in front of his office door with the bag he had packed last night for his trip sitting on the floor at his feet. The young man remained leaning against the wall until his boss unlocked the door and then the two went into Adam's office.  
  
Dylan sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk while Adam went around to stand in front of the painting that hung in between the two bookcases. He quickly released the latch, swung the painting to the side, opened the safe and removed the document case he had prepared a few days before.  
  
After closing the safe, he spun the dial then swung the painting back, making sure the latch caught. He handed the document case to Dylan before sitting down in his desk chair.  
  
"Everything you need is in there and I don't anticipate any trouble with your testimony. Since you've been called as an expert witness your part of the trial should only take a day or two. But if that should change, send me a telegram as soon as you know."  
  
The handsome young man smiled and nodded, but Adam could tell he was still feeling a little nervous. This would be his first time testifying at trial as an expert.  
  
Adam smiled, "This case could not possibly be more cut and dried Dylan. I'm not saying that the defense won't try to trip you up, but I think you can handle this. Just be sure to be as clear and concise as possible. The less you say, the better - just relate the facts as you know them then give your opinion. That's all you'll need to do."  
  
Dylan had been listening and nodding, his eyes never leaving Adam's and the older man could tell he had relaxed some. He bit back a smile at the sight of his usually confident deputy being nervous about anything. The only other time he had seen the young man nervous was when Dora slipped into his room by accident. Of course then Dylan had been terrified Hoss was going to kill him. Adam just had to smile at that memory then firmly turned his attention back to the man sitting in front of him.  
  
"Considering his size and age most would think that your prisoner wouldn't be any trouble transporting, but let me warn you Morty can be very tricky. You'll need to keep a close eye on him at all times. And make sure he doesn't set anything on fire before you hand him over."  
  
"How long do you think he's been an arsonist?"  
  
"Probably since he was a young man. Unfortunately, he's been so good at not leaving a trail it would be hard to say just how many fires he has set. Especially since he's close to seventy now. And I want you to know the work you did on this investigation was the best I've seen. I know it was difficult and time consuming to follow his trail across five states, but the overwhelming circumstantial evidence you gathered was the only way to bring him down."  
  
Dylan was actually turning slightly red. He wasn't used to his demanding boss giving anyone unstinting praise. "But the idea was yours, I just did the leg work."  
  
"You did much more than that and you know it." Adam paused to note his deputy's pleased expression. "I think you've found your niche, Dylan. You seem to enjoy this work much more than infiltrating groups. Even though you were one of the best at that, too." He stopped to glance at the clock hanging on a sidewall.  
  
"Well, it's time to get Mr. Morton Wheeler out of his cage and on his way to prison," he said with a smile and stood. The younger man quickly got to his feet.  
  
"I guess it's to the little guy's credit that no one was ever injured or killed during his long career," the deputy said while shaking his head.  
  
"But we only can be sure that is true about the fires we are aware of. I have a feeling if we went far enough back we'd find injuries and more than a few deaths."  
  
"No doubt you're right," Dylan's expression had become somber.  
  
"No doubt," Adam agreed as the two men left the office and headed down the long front hallway to the cells in the back.  
  
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After seeing Dylan and the gnome-like arsonist off on the train Adam went home, hoping to catch Marie alone for a few minutes.  
  
He went in the front door quietly, not wanting anyone to know he was there and possibly distract him. After quickly climbing the stairs to the second floor he hurried over into the far hallway to Marie's door. When he knocked he was pleased to hear her voice calling out, "Come in!"  
  
Adam opened the door and paused in the doorway to think again about how pleasant Marie's small sitting room was with the mid-morning sun shining through the sheer curtains hanging in the tall windows. The room was tastefully furnished, not cluttered and overwhelming as was the current fashion, something Adam disliked intensely.  
  
Marie turned to give him her usual sweet smile then motioned for him to come over as she sat down on a brocade-upholstered love seat. Adam hurried across the room to sit next to her. He opened his mouth to try and talk her out of making this trip, but realized there was nothing he could say that he hadn't already said. Drumming the fingers of his right hand on his knee he searched desperately for one solid reason he could give her for staying. Marie smiled at the familiar gesture and knew it meant he was frustrated and at the point of becoming irritated. So she spoke first.  
  
"I know you don't want me to go on this trip," she said quietly. "But my brother needs me and you know I have to go."  
  
Adam nodded then sighed. "If I can't talk you out of going and you won't let anyone go with you, at least promise me one thing - if there is any sign of trouble, you send for me right away."  
  
She looked up at his concerned expression and smiled again. "You really are worried, aren't you? But it's been almost six months since any blacks in that area have been harassed."  
  
"I know," he sighed again.  
  
"And the reports all say that the group responsible has been broken up."  
  
"Yes they do," he acknowledged unhappily.  
  
Marie put a hand on his left arm and he placed his right hand over hers. "Promise that you will send for me at the first sign of any kind of trouble. Any kind of trouble and no matter how small - promise me."  
  
"I promise," she said low and he lifted his arm over her head and she leaned into him as he gave her a one-armed hug. They stayed that way for a while until they heard Thea's quick footsteps coming down the hall.  
  
They both sighed then laughed together as they stood.  
  
"Don't you forget," Adam said giving her a stern look, "no matter how small," he finished then went to open the door for his wife.  
  
Thea rushed in, seemingly not noticing who had opened the door, and hurried across the room to throw her arms around Marie. "I'm going to miss you soooo much!" she said and Marie chuckled as she hugged her friend back.  
  
"You people are acting as though I'm going to be gone for years instead of just two months! I'll be back home before you know it."  
  
"It'll seem like years," Thea said with a sniff then stepped back as she shifted her thoughts into 'practical' gear. "Are you finished packing?"  
  
Marie nodded.  
  
"Good. Lunch will be ready in a half hour. You'll have just enough time to eat and get to the train," she said as she hurried through the door. Adam could just see the quick sheen of tears in his wife's eyes as she rushed past.  
  
"Why don't you go down to the kitchen and keep her company while I take your bags down to the front hall," he said. "I'm sure she would appreciate it - you know how much Thea hates 'good-byes', even temporary ones."  
  
The petite black woman gathered up her hat and the light cashmere shawl she had been given for Christmas. "I'm not terribly fond of 'good-byes' of any kind myself," she said softly as she walked toward the door. She stopped in front of Adam and looked up at him earnestly.  
  
"You DO understand I have to go, don't you?"  
  
He nodded and quickly bent down to kiss her on the cheek then turned away and started gathering her bags up.  
  
Marie smiled, quietly said, "I'll miss you too," then went out the door and started down the hallway toward the back stairs.  
  
The next two hours flew by and Marie felt touched when the three deputies showed up at the door to carry her luggage to the train. Adam offered her his arm while they were standing on the front porch and they went down the steps together followed by the deputies, each man carrying one bag.  
  
When they reached the train the three carried the luggage into the private car, then came trailing back out to gather around Marie. Ignoring the stares of the other people boarding the train, each man stepped forward to give her a hug in turn. Then Adam helped her up the steps and into the car.  
  
He gave her another quick hug then said, "Remember!" and was gone. She walked over to the window to watch as he hurried toward his three deputies. The whistle blew and she waved at the four men who began waving back. Then she had to laugh when she saw Stu's long, lean form running down the board sidewalk for all he was worth, one bag in his hand.  
  
He stopped to say a brief word to Adam then galloped to the car steps and bounded up, two at a time. The train started to move when he came in the door so he hurried over to the window to wave good-bye too. Just as the train lurched one more time Adam saw Stu reach out to take hold of Marie's arm to steady her. He smiled; glad that the young man would be with her until they reached San Francisco.  
  
The two moved to the end window and continued to watch until they couldn't see the four men anymore. Then Stu stepped back and held his arms out to Marie. She gladly stepped into his embrace with a broad smile then they both started laughing.  
  
"See?" he said as he hugged her tightly. "I told you there wouldn't be time for questions if I showed up at the last minute."  
  
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Later that afternoon Adam was in the barn giving Onyx an unnecessary grooming, something that usually seemed to help take his mind off nagging problems and give him a little peace. However, this time it wasn't working. His thoughts kept jumping from Marie, to Dylan, then to Bentwood Junction, then to the coming birth of their sixth child. He was so preoccupied he didn't notice Onyx nibbling at his shirt pocket at first, looking for sugar. But when he did he stepped back and put his hands on his hips to give the horse a stern look.  
  
"Now, what makes you so sure I brought you any?" he asked the horse seriously. Onyx just nodded his head vigorously and stretched his neck out so he could nudge Adam in the chest with his nose. He shook his head and the horse responded by nodding his own again then reached out to nibble on the pocket.  
  
Adam held it open. "See? Nothing in there," he said and laughed when Onyx nodded his head again, nudged him in the chest harder this time, and then began to sniff and pull at his other pockets.  
  
"Alright, alright! If you tear any more of my clothes Thea will come out here and beat you with a wooden spoon," he said and reached into a back pocket to pull out four cubes of sugar.  
  
He offered them to the horse on a flat palm and Onyx carefully picked up one with his front teeth and began to munch. Adam rubbed in between the Morab's mis-matched eyes with his free hand as he said; "You have a better sense of smell than a blood-hound." The horse just nudged him the chest one more time then picked up another sugar cube. He laughed.  
  
When the sugar was gone Onyx shook out his mane then stood quietly, waiting for his master to continue brushing down his gleaming black coat. Adam bent down over a pile of brushes and combs then quickly stood and turned in one fluid motion to point the barrel of his gun right in the face of the man who had been trying to sneak up on him. The man's pale blue eyes opened wide in shock, then he began to grin as Adam smiled and shook his head.  
  
"That was absolutely pathetic, Blake. You've been sitting behind a desk too long." He ran his eyes over the man, noting the addition of a few pounds, a paler than usual complexion, and deepened worry lines around his eyes and mouth.  
  
"I never should have taken this damn job," the other man said as he ran his hands through his thinning brown hair that was now liberally sprinkled with gray.  
  
Adam laughed as he tucked his gun back in the holster of his gun belt that had been lying next to the pile of grooming tools. Then he turned back to the shorter man. "I take it you're here to fill me in on Bentwood Junction." Blake nodded and began to speak quietly as Adam leaned against the stall wall, intently listening.  
  
"Well, everything seems to be on track at this point, so you won't be needing us to come down and lend a hand."  
  
"No, I don't think so, but you never know with this group. I still can't believe that just about every merchant in that town is in on the deal. When we bring them in the town will be almost crippled commercially."  
  
"Probably," Adam shook his head. "So have you decided when to take them?"  
  
"Either tomorrow night or the following night."  
  
"Good, it's about time that merry little band of thieves was brought in."  
  
The two men began to move toward the back barn door where Blake's horse was tethered. "I'll certainly be glad when this is over," Blake sighed tiredly.  
  
"I will too," Adam responded, "but for a different reason." The other man chuckled.  
  
"Revenge for what they did to your cousin?"  
  
"In a way. I just want the criminal element around here to know that no one gets away with doing anything to my family."  
  
"And if this operation hadn't been approved by the division office...?" Blake asked with a grin.  
  
Adam's now dark eyes flared briefly with cold anger. "Then I would have taken care of it myself."  
  
Blake mounted his horse and looked down, "Something tells me those idiots don't know how lucky they are that we'll be taking them down and not you."  
  
When Adam didn't respond beyond smiling his wolfish smile, Blake laughed heartily, spurred his horse into motion, and took off across the fields heading east.  
  
Laughing, he watched Blake speeding away for a while then went back into the barn. But as soon as he stepped through the door and closed it behind him he sensed another presence - a hostile presence.  
  
Adam began to move slowly and silently in the dim light, keeping close to the walls as he headed for his gun belt that was still lying on the floor in Onyx's stall. He was just about to enter that stall when someone grabbed him from behind. Quickly latching onto the man's forearm he bent down and forward to flip him over his shoulder. The man hit the ground hard and rolled into the stall, bumping into the Morab's back legs. He instinctively curled up into a ball.  
  
The nervous horse automatically lashed out and Adam couldn't stop his headlong rush toward the smaller man in time. One metal shod hoof glanced off his head, just behind his right ear, and he slid bonelessly to the stone floor.  
  
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The sun had gone down hours before, but lights were still shining brightly in most of the downstairs windows of the cream-colored house. Thea was sitting at the table in the kitchen with her head in her hands, her eyes bright red from the countless tears she had cried ever since it became clear that Adam was missing.  
  
When she had realized that her husband had been in the barn for hours she had trotted across the yard and gone in. Her sharp eyes had immediately zeroed in on a few details that made her feel decidedly uneasy.  
  
Adam would never have left his gun belt in Onyx's stall, or left the combs and brushes in a pile. He also never would have left his horse only partially groomed and the stall door open. Fear rose in her throat and she hurried to give the barn a thorough search and found nothing else. Not knowing what to think she wandered toward Onyx's stall then nearly fell when her foot slipped on a wet patch. She was about to turn around and go back to the house to look for him there when she noticed a streak of bright red on the hem of her skirt. Trembling and with wide eyes she crouched down to touch the dark patch on the stone. When her fingertips came away covered with blood a scream stayed frozen in her throat as she closed her eyes and gasped until she could breathe again. Then she stood to race across the street to the regional office and Adam's deputies.  
  
Midnight came and went and she still sat at the table with her head in her hands. The room was full of people and she was only dimly aware of what they were saying. But every time someone would enter the room she would look up, hoping it would be him. But it never was.  
  
The sun had just started to rise when she became aware of the silence. She was so stiff it seemed to take a monumental effort just to raise her head. Everyone, all their family and friends were standing around the table, watching her with pain-filled eyes and grief-stricken faces.  
  
"No," she managed to choke out as an anguished moan while more tears began to flow silently down her cheeks. Ben came pushing through the crowd to go down on one knee next to her chair. When he reached up with one hand to turn her face toward him she resisted at first then suddenly slid out of the chair and into his arms as she passed out. He slipped one arm under her knees and stood. The crowd parted to let him through and he held her closely as he crossed the kitchen and carried her up the stairs.  
  
Adam had disappeared - and without a trace.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


End file.
